


Fire and Rain

by McCoyote



Category: Red Dead Redemption
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Mentions of Rape, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Slow To Update, Slow-ish burn, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2019-09-17 13:29:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 63,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16975470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/McCoyote/pseuds/McCoyote
Summary: Saved by Arthur Morgan and taught to defend herself, Lorraine Bennett has made her own way ever since. After running into Arthur years later she falls in with the Van der Linde gang despite her misgivings. Arthur is the reason she agreed; Javier is the reason she stayed.





	1. Uno

**Author's Note:**

> First story on A03, woo! I have not written a fic in years, so forgive the rust?
> 
> Two things: first, I apologize for what may be botched Spanish. I'm fairly confident though, but any fluent speakers feel free to help me out if I have horribly messed up. Second: I work a lot of long hours and my updates might become inconsistent, but I am several chapters ahead at this point so there are at least seven solid chapters in the future.

Rainey dismounted her red mustang and hitched him to the post outside of Smithfield’s saloon in Valentine. Zeke flared his nostrils as his hooves stamped an uneasy rhythm into the ground. Rainey gave his neck a pat and fed him a couple sugar cubes she had saved for the trip into town. He was a good horse － fast and strong － but he had never liked being surrounded by people.

"Me either, Zeke, me either," Rainey agreed with a last stroke to his nose. Satisfied he was under control Rainey turned her attention to the saloon.

A few days back Rainey had had a run in with one of the working girls from the saloon on the trail out near Emerald Ranch. The poor girl was being accosted by a drunken rancher while she was off-duty. He was slapping her around pretty fierce when Rainey happened upon them, his body pinning the much smaller woman against a tree. With quick precision Rainey had reached into her hide jacket and and threw one of her sharp knives so that it stuck in the trunk of the tree by the man's face. The man whipped around with a curse but faltered when he saw Rainey.

"Mind yer own business, bitch," the man warned, his hand twitching above his pistol. He took a menacing step forward and gave her a black-toothed grin. "Unless yer wantin' ter join in."

Rainey kept her face blank and hard, one hand on Zeke's reins and the other relaxed on the pommel. This wasn't the first man to underestimate her, but Rainey long since learned to use that to her advantage. The whore he had been beating looked too afraid to move lest she draw attention back to herself, but she managed to look Rainey in the eye and give the smallest shake of her head as if begging Rainey not to leave her there.

"Walk away or the next one won't miss," Rainey said finally.

The man sputtered and then let out a wheezing laugh. "You － _threatening_ me?" His hand draped over the handle of his pistol. Rainey's eyes narrowed. "I don't think you know who yer dealin' －"

Two things had happened at once; the man drew his gun mid-sentence to get the drop on Rainey, but she was quicker. Her hand flew from the pommel and flicked the blade hidden up her sleeve into the man's wrist, making him drop his weapon to the ground with an agonized scream.

"Bitch! Ya fuckin' bitch!" he howled, grasping tightly to his spurting wound. Rainey gently squeezed Zeke's side with her legs and rode toward the whore, whose mouth was open wide with shock. Rainey held down a hand to her. The whore stared at her scarred hand for a moment before taking it and allowing Rainey to swing her up on Zeke's back.

Rainey glanced over her shoulder. "Bother her again and I'll finish the job."

Rainey had given the girl a ride to her mother's house after that, accepting her thanks with a silent nod. At first the girl awkwardly made to offer her services in return for the favor to which Rainey chuckled and assured her was unnecessary. The girl had been relieved, but then her face had brightened as she looked up at Rainey. She offered her a free room at the saloon for a night if she ever found herself in Valentine and was in need of a place to sleep. That was a deal that Rainey said she would take her up on.

It just so happened that Rainey was in need of place, for business had driven her a little further west than anticipated. It had been wet and chill to boot, and though Rainey was seasoned enough to ride out the elements the thought of dry clothes and a bed for a night sounded appealing. Maybe even a warm bath.

The saloon was boisterous that evening, the noise reaching Rainey's ears before she even stepped through the swinging doors. Several men stood at the bar and even more sat at various tables. Women were dotted amongst them in varying states of dress, and the piano belted out an upbeat ditty that faltered slightly when she stepped in. It picked up again quickly, but Rainey felt several pairs of judging eyes taking in her male attire and the pistol at her waist. It was a tiresome routine everywhere she went but one she was long used to.

Rainey had been hoping to spot Fanny, the whore who had offered her the room, but she was nowhere in sight. Fanny had said to talk to the barkeep and that it would all be settled, but it would be an awkward situation if in fact nothing had been settled at all. The last thing Rainey wanted was to deal with was Fanny's irate employer.

Rainey leaned against the bar next to two women who flirted and giggled with two dark complected men and signaled the barkeep. He came over with surprising haste and leaned against the bar.

"Rainey, yeah?" the bearded man asked, cleaning a shot glass and setting it in front of her with a dull thunk. "Fanny said you would be hard to miss. Good girl, that one. My thanks for looking out for her." He poured a shot of whiskey and slid it to Rainey. "On me. If you'll be wantin' that room I have an empty one on the end on the left upstairs."

"I'll take it tonight," Rainey agreed. She slid some coins across the bar. "A hot meal and hot water to wash if it's possible."

"I can make it possible. But only one free night, mind. I'll be back with some hot stew for you right quick."

Relief flooded Rainey as she lifted her shot and downed it in one, her green eyes landing on one of the men to her left. He looked up at the same time, his dark eyes sparkling with mischief as shaded as they were by his bowler hat. The Mexican smirked at her, the end of his partial mustache quirking to the side. So shocked was Rainey that she was grateful she had already swallowed her shot, because otherwise she feared it would have choked her. She averted her gaze as the barkeep came back with the bowl of stew and a spoon.

Stew never seemed so interesting until then. Rainey picked up the bowl and turned so her back was leaning against the bar. It gave her a better vantage point of the room and eliminated the temptation to glance back at the stranger. Her cheeks burned at the thought, though she tried to convince herself it was the warmth of the stew. Men rarely looked at her in such a way. Handsome men even less so. Rainey preferred to keep it that way.

Hidden beneath her hat Rainey let herself relax. The riding had been tough the last few weeks. More than once she had to defend what was hers against bandits ready to take advantage of what they thought was a helpless woman. It grew tiresome to be ever tense, and sometimes Rainey wondered if just maybe she should just settle down somewhere and make a go of a normal life, whatever that was. She had survived off the land and the odd job for so long she wasn't sure she could do much else.

"Well if it isn't little Lorraine Bennett," a familiar drawl greeted, startling Rainey so bad she nearly dropped her bowl.

"Ain't no one calls me that but you, Morgan, and best if you forget to," Rainey replied. She slid her empty bowl on the counter and met the familiar weathered face of a man she hadn't seen in nearly seven years.

"Is that right? You gonna catch me with one of them pig-stickers of yours if I don't?"

"You know better than most what I can do with my 'pig-stickers.' Sure you wanna test me?" Rainey gave a grin and stepped up to Arthur Morgan and gripped his forearm. Arthur was having none of it and pulled her into a quick, tight hug. Rainey tensed but accepted it. The gesture felt good though foreign. She couldn't remember the last time she allowed anyone so close.

Arthur held her out at arms length and took stock of her. "You look good － healthy. Been taking care of yourself?"

"I could ask the same of you," Rainey replied. "You look old."

A bark of laughter made Rainey and Arthur turn their heads toward the fancy dressed Mexican leaning against the end of the bar and smoking a cigarette. The two women were gone, but his Native friend still stood next to him. "That he does," the man agreed, "but he seems to know the most interesting people, and _muchas señoritas hermosas_."

Arthur gave the man a sharp look but remained otherwise relaxed. The man only held up a leather-gloved hand in deference and grinned. It dawned on Rainey that Arthur knew this man, and probably the other one too as he had shifted his attention their way.

"Friends of yours?" Rainey asked, nodding their way. Arthur chuckled and gestured to the barkeep for a drink of his own.

"I reckon so," Arthur teased in that dry way Rainey always remembered fondly. Both men nodded at her, and Rainey returned the gesture. "Lorraine this is Charles Smith and Javier Escuella. Been riding with Javier a while now, Charles a few months."  

"Been putting you through your paces by the look of it," Rainey observed. She glanced to Javier and Charles. "And it's Rainey. Arthur has a bad habit of forgetting that."

"Where's Bill?" Arthur questioned. He accepted his shot and downed it while scanning the saloon.

"There he is," Javier pointed.

A drunken man with a beard stumbled from the back of the room. Rainey shook her head as she watched the man stumble between the other patrons. She had signalled for another shot from the barkeep when a gloved hand dropped some coins down in front of her. The barkeep swept them away and deposited the shot before Rainey could object. Javier had moved to lean against the bar next to her in that cavalier way she had seen him earlier.

" _Gracias_ ," Rainey muttered.

Javier gave a startled grin. " _De nada._ " He looked as if he were about to say more, but a shout and the heavy scrape of chairs had them both turning around. Bill had started a fist fight with two men which was escalating into an all-out brawl between most of the patrons. Javier took one last drag from his mostly finished cigarette and offered it to Rainey.

When Rainey took the cigarette Javier gave a wink and threw himself into the fray along with Arthur and Charles. Rainey leaned back against the bar to watch the show as she finished off the cigarette, which was sadly only a couple of stale hits. It had been a while since she'd had the extra cash for tobacco, and she'd forgotten just how much she missed it. It made her mouth water for more.

Without meaning to Rainey found herself watching Javier, intrigued by the Mexican in a way that made her more than a little uncomfortable. He stood toe-to-toe with a man several inches taller than himself that had been trying to blindside Arthur from behind, but Javier ducked away from his sluggish punches easily. Rainey grabbed her shot and savored it as it was likely to be her last for a while, attempting to avert her gaze but finding it drawn right back to the man who had purchased it.

Javier landed a hard punch to the bigger man and knocked him down. His moment of victory was cut short when another man swung hard and caught him on the side of the mouth, busting his lip open and knocking his hat from atop his head. Rainey glanced to the side and placed her foot on a forgotten chair and kicked it across the floor and into the back of the new opponent’s knees. The man fell to the ground over top his unconscious friend. Javier looked up at Rainey, who attempted to look innocent as she bent and retrieved his hat and tossed it to him.

By this point a big man from upstairs came barrelling down and demanding to know what all the fuss was about. Somehow Arthur was singled out and the two began a new brawl, which captured the attention of those still conscious enough to observe it. Javier chuckled and wiped a hand across his mouth, smearing blood and wincing as the leather scraped against the open wound.

Rainey wasn't sure what possessed her, but before she could stop herself she said: "Tell you what － I'll clean you up if you got another smoke."

As soon as she said it she wanted to kick herself, but Javier nodded and patted his vest pocket. With no going back now Rainey gestured for him to follow and led him to her room. It occurred to her the implications of taking a man upstairs in a saloon of all places, but the invitation was already out there and so far Javier seemed decent enough. If nothing else Rainey had her blades, though she would hate to explain to Arthur how one of his friends ended up on the wrong end of them.

The room itself was small but serviceable, and as promised there was a ceramic basin full of water with steam curling from the top of it. Rainey moved quickly to put some distance between her and Javier under the pretense of finding a cloth to mop up his face. She tossed her dusty hat onto the bed and debated shedding her jacket, but in the end she left it on just in case.

"Have a seat," she invited, pointing to the table and chair in the corner.

"So how long have you known our friend Arthur?" Javier asked.

"A while. 'Bout ten years, give or take. Haven't seen him since I was just a girl."

Rainey busied herself by digging through her satchel. From it she produced a beat up tin cup which she filled with some of the steaming water, and from a small cloth bag she pulled some herbs that she added to steep. She looked up at Javier, who was leaning back on two of the chair legs with his boots resting atop the table, the hard line of his body threatening to make her drop the healing concoction.

She cleared her throat and turned away to grab a clean cloth. "How do those knuckles look?"

"Bruised is all." There was a small thump as he dropped the chair back down on all fours so he could sit properly. "You're a bit young for Arthur..."

Rainey turned around sharply to admonish him, and Javier smirked at her reaction. Rainey gritted her teeth for a moment and dipped the cloth into the herb water. She grabbed Javier's chin and none-too-gently pressed the rag against the cut on his lip after wringing it out, smirking herself in satisfaction at the hiss he let out.

"It was never like that with Arthur," Rainey replied. "He was more like a mentor. Taught me how to defend myself after I pestered him long enough. He was there after... after some bad times."

Rainey went silent, wiping away the blood more gently. It was a hard time talking about before she could defend herself, even in passing. Before she learned what the world was made of. Arthur had saved her, but not before the damage to her soul was done. It was much easier to lose herself in the feel of stubble against her fingertips instead, or to study the lips that had smirked at her so mischievously as battered as they were at the moment.

Strong hands settled on her waist and snapped her from her reverie. In a heartbeat Rainey had the point of one of her knives at Javier's throat. Javier's eyes widened and slowly he raised his hands in the air away from her.

"Don't," Rainey warned. She dropped the blood-stained rag and backed away toward the balcony doors. Javier watched her like she was a caged animal ready to strike, his dark eyes unreadable but his body relaxed. He made no move toward her, and she took the opportunity to fling the door open and escape out into the evening air.

It had been a mistake to be friendly Rainey thought as she leaned against the railing. Javier had only read the situation as it was presented, and now she felt like a fool. What else could he have possibly thought? Things could have escalated in a much different way, and Rainey found herself grateful as she calmed her stuttering heart with deep breaths through her nose.  

Heavy footsteps approached her slowly. Rainey focused her attention toward the horizon, clenched her jaw and awaited the damage. Instead of angry words there was the fizzle of a struck match and the sweet smell of tobacco. A cigarette broke her line of sight and she took it gratefully. Javier leaned against the railing next to her and lit his own.

"It's getting late," Javier observed. "I appreciate you cleaning me up. _Gracias._ "

"Of course," Rainey managed past her dry throat. "Herbs should keep the swelling down. Maybe don't get in any more fist fights for a while."

“ _Sí_ ,” Javier agreed. “I will leave you. I hope we meet again Rainey.”

With a tip of his hat Javier took the balcony stairs and disappeared into the night. Rainey finished her cigarette in hopes of easing the knot in her chest. No matter how hard she tried she could not get that sly smile or the image of Javier leaning back in the chair out of her mind. Sighing, she decided the only thing for this strange feeling was a quick wash and a good sleep in an actual bed.

The first thing she looked at when she went back inside was that damnable chair and a bloody rag on the floor in front of it. Embarrassment at her blunder filled her until she looked atop the scarred surface of the table. A slow smile bloomed on her lips when she saw what was left of a crumpled pack of cigarettes.


	2. Dos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love this story too much not to share more, so have an update. :)

Early the next afternoon Rainey gathered her things and left the saloon. Zeke flared his nostrils and huffed when he saw her. After tending to his needs she mounted up and headed out. It was going to be a long ride to West Elizabeth, but after a good night of rest Rainey felt refreshed and ready to continue on her hunt.

It was a shame she didn’t get to say farewell to Arthur; she always had a fondness for the man, even before he had become her rescuer. She chuckled to herself as she recalled following the dour man around as a young girl, peeking around corners and running off if he ever caught her. Arthur bore her girlish ignorance with ease and was always kind in his own gruff manner.

Once out of town and away from prying eyes, Rainey dug into her satchel and produced the folded piece of paper that she hoped would bear some real fruit. Sloppy lines sketched a mountainous region surrounded by trees on a yellowed scrap of paper. It was very general at first glance, but the carefully drawn cut off quality of the smallest mountain in the drawing was what had caught her attention, for she remembered seeing said mountain as a child travelling with her father. It was almost as if some giant being had taken a bite out of the top; at least that’s what her childhood imagination had fancied.

Sparse instructions were scrawled at the bottom of the map indicating of a hidden stash of money in a cave at the base of a cliff in the area. After studying the map she stuffed it in her boot for safekeeping. It was bound to take some hard searching, but Rainey was up to the task. Before now she had been surviving by hunting or the occasional theft, but it was weary work to outrun the law and Rainey preferred to keep as much of a low profile as she could.  

Late afternoon was fading before Rainey realized she was being followed. It started out as a twisting feeling in her gut before she ever heard the hoof beats riding up on her, and by that point it was too late. Her hand fell to her pistol, ready to give her pursuer hell, but she was forced to pull Zeke up short when two more riders blocked her path. Both were armed with rifles pointed straight at her, and a glance over her shoulder revealed the third with a leveled pistol of his own.

Trees lined the trail to the left, but there was a drop-off on the other side. To the right was a cliff face that towered above her, which left no room for maneuvering. Not without taking several bullets.

“Off yer horse, bitch, and toss yer gun,” the man ordered as he swung down from his barrel of a horse. Dirty brown hair hung limp around his bony face.

Rainey tried hard to calculate an outcome in which she got the upper hand, but outnumbered and flanked as she was there was no option but to do as he said.

Gritting her teeth she pulled her pistol out and tossed it on the ground. Zeke seemed to sense the danger in the situation and was starting to fuss as she slid from his back. She turned and slowly raised her hands in the air.

“What do you want?”

Her fingers itched for her favorite blade, tucked into the special pocket inside her sleeve that she had fashioned herself. With two other rifles trained on her, however, she realized that she wouldn’t stand a chance with one throw.

The greasy man, who towered over her above average height, wasted no time in backhanding her across her face so forcefully she fell back into Zeke. The mustang stamped his hooves and tensed as if to rear. Jaw aching at the impact, Rainey remained standing and spit a wad of blood onto the ground. Fire lit her veins when she looked back to her attacker, who sneered at her and snatched her by the throat with a firm long-fingered hand.

“Alby wanted me to kill ya fer all the trouble you caused him,” the man said, squeezing hard enough Rainey could barely breathe. What air she could get was tainted by the acrid scent of his unwashed body. The name he spoke didn’t ring any bells, but Rainey was no stranger to making enemies. “I say mah cousin got what he deserved, being bested by a woman like he was. Shoulda done the deed himself.”

The man threw her to the ground as the other two men dismounted, and goosebumps broke out all over her skin. It was too similar a situation, too close to the past for Rainey’s liking. Breathing was still difficult even with no hand around her throat, and the burning panic in her chest froze her with fear. Her knives sang to her from within her jacket, but she dare not move until she was certain she had no other choice. She would die before she allowed it to happen again and take out as many bastards as she could before she did.

“Maybe,” the man said, crouching down and pointing his gun inches from her face, “maybe I’ll just teach you a lesson. Eye for an eye an’ all that. Alby can’t work now ‘cause of you, and a man’s gotta work to make a livin’. Hard to ranch with a hole in yer arm from a nosey bitch shoulda minded her own goddamn business.”

“Maybe we could have a little fun first,” one of the man’s lackeys suggested. He was a big sweating man with a leering gaze who was fingering his rifle in a way that made Rainey’s hair stand up on the back of her neck.

“You dumb sumbitch, we ain’t got time for that,” the man dismissed, his beady gaze never leaving Rainey. “Search her bags, take what’s worth taking, kill the horse.”

“No,” Rainey started, jolting up at the last command. She saw stars when the handle of the man’s gun collided with her face.

The next moments were a blurred memory of pain blooming throughout her body. She tried to protest but all that came out were groans and whimpers as boots collided with her ribs. A gunshot rang in her ears along with a heavy thud near her on the ground. She tried to lift her head after the sound of retreating hoof beats, but everything was heavy, and everything hurt.

Through her blurred vision as her face lay in mud was Zeke lying a few feet away in his own puddle of blood, his large eyes staring unseeing back at her. A single tear rolled down Rainey’s cheek before she passed out in too much pain to even roll out of the road.

 

✭✭✭

 

It was night before Rainey came to, her ribs on fire once she forced herself into a sitting position. It was difficult to breathe. It took a few minutes before she could force herself to stagger upright. She had to use a tree for support, gripping the rough bark with her eyes focused on Zeke’s body the entire time. That pain was worse than the physical, for she had broken Zeke herself after tutelage from the Natives who had taken her in to their tribe for a time. He had represented a bright spot in her turbulent life, and now her best friend was gone.

There was nothing for it. Rainey only allowed a brief period of guilt and sadness.  Managing to stagger over to his body she placed her hand on his muzzle. Fondly she remembered the Natives whispering their prayers and wish she had picked up on the language. As it was she gave him one final caress between the eyes.  

After pulling herself together she searched her saddlebags to see the damage. The bastards had taken nearly everything but the bags themselves. Her pistol was gone, her ammo, her food, even her hat and hide jacket. The only thing left to her was one thin blade she kept tucked in her boot and the map.

About to give up Rainey made to begin the arduous task of walking when a worn strap sticking out from under Zeke’s body caught her eye. It was a familiar scrap of leather that gave her some small consolation. By the time she was able to tug her satchel loose the strap had broken and her face was covered in a cold sweat. It felt like someone was constantly stabbing her ribs with a knife, but she was grateful not all was completely lost. She rigged the strap and slung it across her torso and began the long trek to the nearest town.

It was nearly two hours before she saw signs of others as she limped down the road, holding her ribs with her face set in a grimace. A chill permeated through her body and she felt dirty all over, but she was afraid to stop. Various wildlife predators prowled the mountains at night, and covered in blood as she was with only the one knife she still had secreted away in her boot as protection she wouldn’t stand a chance. At the first flickering orange light she spotted in the distance Rainey made up her mind to swallow her pride and seek assistance.

It was a climb through the woods to get to the camp, but she did so as silent as she could. She paused to grab her knife in case they weren’t friendly, but at this point the gamble was all she had. Realistically if there was more than one and they were hostile there wasn’t much she’d be able to do in this state.

Once she was close enough she observed for a short time, spotting no tent but a bedroll positioned near a boulder and one lone figure seated next to a small fire. There was a single overo horse nearby, and that gave Rainey the courage to press forward after making sure her blade was hidden but accessible. Rainey moved so she’d enter the camp in front of the stranger. The last thing she wanted was to get shot because she stumbled in behind the man’s back.

As predicted a pistol flashed in the firelight when she walked into the clearing, but she was quick throw up her hands to show them empty. Opening her mouth to greet the stranger Rainey paused. Upon closer inspection the stranger was no stranger at all. Relief and embarrassment filled her in equal measure as she let out a shaky breath.

“Javier.”

Javier frowned but didn’t drop his pistol. Rainey was almost concerned until she remembered her face was mostly concealed under mud, blood and bruises. “It’s Rainey. We met yesterday,” she elaborated, lowering her arms so she could wrap an arm around herself.

Javier holstered his gun and moved to help her sit by the fire. She groaned when he helped lower her down on top of a fallen tree. “What happened to you?”

“Robbed,” Rainey muttered, removing her satchel with some difficulty. “Some guy I stopped from hurting a girl sent his cousin after me to get revenge. They shot my horse.”

“Tough luck.” Javier went to Boaz and began digging through his saddlebags. He pulled out what looked to be an old shirt and a roll of linen gauze. “And you told me to avoid fights.”

Rainey chuckled and immediately regretted it for the pain it lanced through her side. “So I did. Good luck running into you though. Was expecting a less… fortunate meeting.”

Javier poured water from a canteen over the shirt and offered it to Rainey before he settled down beside her. Rainey accepted gratefully and began wiping as much of the grime from her face as she could. Her dark hair was in disarray and felt gritty to the touch after lying in mud, and she did the best she could to wrangle it back into a bun at the nape of her neck.

She was sure she looked like something a wildcat drug through the mountains, but she felt better after the worst of the mess was wiped away. Some gentle prods to her face revealed swelling and some cuts from the beating and probably a nasty bruise that felt like it covered the whole left side.

“Fortunate, eh?” Javier repeated. “After our meeting I expected you thought different.”

“I－” Rainey faltered. Her face heated, and she looked away.

“ _Es bueno_. Just thought maybe you didn’t care for _Mexicanos_ much.”

Rainey cleared her throat and forced herself to look Javier in the eyes. They were a rich brown with deep flecks of mahogany.  “I don’t care much for anyone.” She wrung the soiled shirt in her hands. “ _Hombres_ especially.”

“Must be lonely.” There sounded like there was an understanding that went deeper than his words. He held up the roll of gauze. “I have this － for your ribs. It will help a little. Can’t do much else for them.”

Rainey nodded and scooted closer, which seemed to surprise Javier as his eyebrows raised in question. “You’ll have to do it.” Rainey lifted her arms out of the way.

It hurt something fierce to hold them up, and sensing her discomfort Javier carefully placed her forearms to rest on his shoulders to relieve the burden. Rainey barely breathed at the contact and stared off into the trees, ignoring the intimacy of their position. With great care to avoid touching her inappropriately Javier bound her ribs over her shirt. When he was finished Rainey moved her arms and wrapped them around herself.

“ _Gracias_ ,” she said as watched the dance of the fire.

“You should get some rest,” Javier said. He got up and grabbed the wool blanket from his bedroll and dropped it around her shoulders. “I can take watch if you want.”

“No, it’s fine. Don’t think I’ll be getting much sleep like this,” Rainey responded. “You go ahead, I’ll keep an eye out.”

“If you’re sure,” Javier nodded.

Rainey waved him toward his bedroll and pulled out her throwing knife to give her something to do with her hands. Since she had his blanket Javier pulled on his _serape_ and leaned against the boulder, placing his bowler hat over his face. After a while soft snores broke the silence, coaxing a small smile from Rainey as she danced her knife in and out of her fingers.

The night was chill and even with a blanket Rainey shivered despite the fire. Glancing at Javier she noticed him shivering in his sleep too, arms crossed his chest to preserve his body heat. Guilt gnawed at her. He had been nothing but kind since they met if a little forward for her comfort. Even when he thought she disliked him he was willing to help, though whether that was because of her ties to Arthur or his own moral compass remained to be seen. It wouldn’t kill her to show some compassion, she decided.

As quietly as she could she moved over to the boulder and used it to help her slide down into a sitting position next to Javier, gritting her teeth to keep from whimpering. She left a small gap between them and spread the blanket out so it covered them both. The scratchy wool was still warm from the fire. Javier never woke, but his shivering ceased and that pleased Rainey enough to allow herself to relax as well as she could.

Morning came in a few short hours, Rainey admiring the dawn when Javier began to stir. He rubbed his face and brushed a few escaped strands of his black hair back before placing his bowler hat atop his head. When he flung the blanket off of his legs he realized what was strange with this and noticed Rainey next to him with her legs stretched out and crossed at the ankle.

“You looked cold,” Rainey said by way of explanation.

“Mhm,” Javier hummed. It amused her that he didn’t seem to be a morning person. After adjusting to wakefulness he reached out and brushed Rainey’s left cheek with a thumb, undeterred when she flinched under his touch. “This looks worse in the daylight. I could clean it up for you, return the favor?”

The softness in his eyes disarmed Rainey. “Alright.”

Only when Javier moved away to heat some water did Rainey feel like she could breathe again. Convincing herself it was lack of sleep addling her thoughts she distracted herself by digging through her satchel to see if her herbs were still in place. She was running low but there were enough to aid her healing, and she offered them up to Javier along with an old bandana to use.

“Promise not to stab me?” Javier quipped before he moved to touch Rainey. Rainey frowned and nodded, and Javier gave a sheepish smile that made his handsome features boyish. “I was only kidding, _chica_. Stay still, now.”

Just as she had done for him he grabbed her chin gently between his thumb and turned her head, though he used much more care in tending to her wound. The herbs stung but eventually began to soothe, and Javier cleaned up what blood and dirt she had missed the night before. “So Arthur was your mentor, you said?” he asked casually.

“Yes,” she replied, biting her lip as he cleaned around the nasty gash on her cheekbone where the gun had collided with her face. “Taught me the basics; knife throwing, shooting, fighting.”

“He don’t seem like the mentoring type.”

“He ain’t.” Rainey huffed a laugh. “I pestered him into it until he caved. For some reason I think he blamed himself for some bad things that happened － prolly pitied me. Surprised he never told you stories since y’all been ridin’ together a while.”

“Arthur never talks much about himself.”

“Guess Arthur never really liked talking now that I think about it. Was always writing and sketching in this journal he had.”

“He still does,” Javier replied. He wrung out the bandana and spread it over a rock near the fire. “Listen, I’m headed back to our camp out near Valentine. I can give you a ride, but I can’t take you into our camp without permission, _comprende_?”

“I understand,” Rainey replied. “A ride is more than I could have hoped for. Thank you… for everything. I’ll pay you back somehow.”


	3. Tres

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was looking a little skinny so I split part of the next for a nice long one, yeah?

Getting atop Javier’s horse was one of the most painful processes to date, especially since Boaz was bigger than Rainey used to. Javier offered to help, but Rainey stubbornly pulled herself up with a hoarse cry and tears stinging her eyes before he could even move a muscle. Javier attempted to hide his amusement by calming Boaz in Spanish when the horse whinnied at the noise. Once composed he swung up to the saddle in front of Rainey and they adjusted so they were both as comfortable as they could get.

“Hold on,” Javier instructed, “it’s a steep ride down the trail.”

Rainey wrapped an arm loosely around Javier’s waist, holding tightly only when Boaz jostled her a bit too much. Riding quickly became the second most painful process with busted ribs, but she bore it silently, even biting the inside of her lip bloody to keep from making any noise.

“You _buena_ back there?”

“Fine,” Rainey lied.

“If that’s true maybe you like me more than I thought,” Javier teased. “Feels like you’re trying to squeeze me in half.”

Rainey tried to muster the indignance to be offended, but not leaning her entire weight on Javier for support was taking too much energy to bother. She did loosen her grip a bit, however, and was glad she was behind him so he couldn’t see the blush rising in her cheeks. “Sorry.”

“I broke my ribs once, back in Mexico. Fell down a river bank, landed on a rock. Had to ride hard the next day to keep from getting shot. Hurt like hell, I remember.” Javier gave her arm a squeeze. “Lean on me Rainey, I don’t bite without permission.”

“You always so considerate?” Rainey grumbled, giving in and resting some of her weight against his back. Despite her best efforts she was beginning to grow fond of this man.

“No,” Javier admitted. “I’m a _cabrón_ when I need to be.”

“I can imagine what that means,” Rainey replied. “I think you’re alright Javier Escuella. I’m glad to have met you.”

They spent the rest of the ride in silence. Javier shared some salted beef and crackers along the way, along with a cigarette they passed between them. By the time they reached Valentine it was midday, and Rainey was more than ready to be on the ground. A part of her lamented the loss of proximity with Javier, but she refused to admit it to even herself. An emptiness filled her when he slid off the horse, and she allowed him to help her down after her pride had wounded her that morning.

Javier pressed a couple dollars into her hand, which Rainey tried to refuse. “Take it,” he insisted. “I’ll go get Arthur and we’ll be back in a couple hours. Get a room at the hotel, and we’ll meet you there.”

“You’ve done enough, I’ll be fine,” Rainey insisted.

“Do this for me,  _por favor_ , and Arthur,” Javier said. “He will want to know you are safe.”

Rainey relented and accepted the money, feeling more guilty by the minute. It was her own fault she got herself into such a mess, but Javier was already mounting his horse and she owed it to him to follow his wishes. Once Arthur came back with him Rainey could only imagine how much worse she would feel if she didn’t.

With a wave as he rode away Rainey limped to the hotel, earning some concerned looks by those passing by. When she walked into the hotel the manager gave a sharp intake of breath at the sight of her. “Are you alright Miss?”

“Peachy,” she deadpanned and gave him a few dollars for a room and a bath. He took the money and directed her to both, stealing glances at her battered face when he thought she wasn’t looking.

A bath, a real bath, was the most divine feeling she’d had in quite some time. She would have to remember to thank Javier profusely for that, even if it killed her. The warm water eased the aches in her bones and made her never want to leave the tub. After the water began to cool she shook the dust from her clothes the best she could and put them back on with distaste. They needed a good washing, but they were all she had.

Rainey all but collapsed on the bed once she climbed the stairs to her room. Exhaustion put her to sleep once her head hit the pillow, bringing dreams of dark eyes and strong tanned arms. Heavy knocks startled her awake a while later, and she cursed when she sat up too quickly.

“Lorraine, it’s Arthur,” a voice called from the other side.

“It’s Rainey, you old bastard,” she said when she opened the door. Arthur walked in and widened his eyes when he saw her face.

“What have you got yourself into, girl?”

“Nothing worse than you, I’m sure,” she replied. “I’ll live.” Arthur’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “Really, Arthur, I’m fine. I’m not the same girl you knew. I’ve been through worse. Was lucky to run into Javier, though. He helped me out.”

“I’m sure he did.”

Rainey narrowed her eyes. “Did you come here to give me a lecture or to make assumptions or both, Morgan, ‘cause I ain’t got time for neither.”

“I came here to offer you a place to stay so you could get back on your feet,” Arthur replied. “Dutch said I could bring you into camp. Don’t make that face, Rainey, of course you knew I was still runnin’ with Dutch.”

“You know how I feel about him.”

“What other choice do you have?”

Rainey crossed her arms. Dutch Van der Linde was not a man Rainey had ever been fond of. She only met the man a couple of times, and both times she was not impressed. Dutch was a man full of ideals and grand schemes, but beneath it all Rainey never trusted his motivations. After Rainey had turned down the offer to join the Van der Linde gang she and Arthur had parted ways. 

Rainey admitted to herself that she had met Dutch at a time where she heavily questioned the motivations of every man, and Arthur had a point. What other choice did she have but to throw herself at his mercy? Without a horse or money and as injured as she was there was no getting anywhere without help.

“Lead the way.”

Outside Javier was leaned against the hitching post by Boaz when Rainey and Arthur emerged. He straightened at their arrival and smiled at Rainey seeming very pleased. Rainey nodded at him and Javier held out his arms to help her onto Boaz.

“She can ride with me,” Arthur said, helping Rainey onto his dappled grey thoroughbred. Javier muttered something in Spanish and mounted his own horse. Together they rode out toward a place called Horseshoe Overlook.

“Tell me about the guys that jumped you,” Arthur said to Rainey over his shoulder. Rainey shot an annoyed look toward Javier, who pretended the trail was much more interesting than the conversation.

“Three men,” Rainey described, “one large and sweaty with a thin blond mustache, the leader tall and weedy with dirty brown hair to his ears and beady eyes. Didn’t get a good look at the third one. Looked like part of a gang, not really sure. The leader said his cousin Alby sent them after me. He’s some rancher type out near Emerald Ranch I stopped from assaulting a girl out that way.”

“By doing some assaulting of your own, I’m guessing.” Rainey scowled and said nothing. “We’re almost there. And be on your best behavior around Dutch for all our sakes.”

Javier cocked his head to the side in question but didn’t ask. They cut through the trees and broke into a small camp with tents, wagons and several people milling around. It eased Rainey to see several women moving about doing chores and looking content. Arthur helped her down from his horse as Dutch ambled up to them. He and Rainey sized each other up.

“Dutch,” Rainey greeted carefully, thrusting out a hand. She worried he had not forgiven her for turning down his previous offer.

Dutch held his calculating expression for a moment longer before breaking into a wide smile and clasping Rainey’s forearm. “A long time, Miss Bennett. Javier here said you ran into a bit of trouble, and by the look of it he wasn’t exaggerating. You can stay with us until you get back on your feet, maybe longer if you’re so inclined.”

“Thank you,” Rainey replied, wondering if maybe she had been a bit harsh in the past to judge this man. Something about him still didn’t sit right in her gut, but he seemed genuine enough.

“Miss Grimshaw,” Dutch called. One of the most severe no-nonsense women Rainey had ever seen strode over, looking Rainey up and down and already grabbing her arm when Dutch added, “find Miss Bennett something to wear and a place to bed down. She’ll be joining us a while.”

“Come on, Miss Bennett,” Miss Grimshaw said.

“Rainey, please,” Rainey said, following along.

After that it was a flurry of meeting the other women in the camp, all of which were curious about Rainey and her association with the other members of the gang. A girl named Tilly braided her hair back from her face while another named Sadie made up a bedroll for her next to the others. It was overwhelming to be the center of attention like this for someone like Rainey, who despite her unusual demeanor managed to melt into the background wherever she went. Apart from sideways glances at her manly attire most people opted to leave her alone.

“Go along now girls, there’s work to be done,” Miss Grimshaw snapped. When it was just the two of them Miss Grimshaw hummed to herself. “I just might have a skirt to fit you until we can get those clothes washed up.”

Rainey paled but nodded. It had been a long time since she’d worn anything remotely feminine, but she wasn’t about to turn down the hospitality. After some digging the older woman produced a dark brown twill skirt, ruffled blouse and brown vest.

“Come now, let’s re-wrap those ribs proper, shall we?”

Much to Rainey’s embarrassment Miss Grimshaw helped her out of her clothes once they were concealed inside a tent. Rainey clamped an arm down over her bare breasts. Miss Grimshaw tutted and turned her around so her back was facing her. “Nothing I ain’t seen before, and not much there to worry about to boot. Now let me work.”

Rainey said nothing but bore the humiliation in silence. Miss Grimshaw was much less gentle with wrapping her ribs than Javier, but Rainey wasn’t about to say so. Afterward she donned her borrowed clothes, feeling distinctly uncomfortable but able to move freely enough despite wearing skirts. She thanked Miss Grimshaw and emerged from the tent, wanting nothing more than to escape into the open air away from all this attention.

The edge of camp afforded a beautiful view of the mountains and rolling hills, and here Rainey closed her eyes and breathed deep after seating herself on a log. Muscle memory had her reaching into her boot to retrieve her knife which she danced in her fingers. Nature always brought her peace when she felt uneasy.

Harsh whispers caught her attention, and she turned to see Arthur with Javier’s shoulder clamped tightly in his hand. Javier’s jaw was clenched but he nodded, yanking his arm away and walking toward her. He said nothing at first as he leaned against a nearby tree and lit a cigarette, taking a few angry puffs as he stared into the distance.

“Arthur sure is protective,” Javier said finally. His scowl softened when he looked at her, taking in her change of clothes and her freshly braided hair. “You sure there was nothing between you two?”

“He just knows what I’ve been through is all,” Rainey dismissed, stopping the knife dance to inspect the blade and thumb the edge. “Knows how uneasy men make me.”

“You don’t have to talk about it,” he replied. Rainey was sure he could fill in the gaps anyway, so she decided the least she could do was open up a bit..

“Some men took me from my pa’s ranch when I was just barely out of my childhood. He angered the wrong men, and they took their vengeance out on me.” Rainey shuddered and gripped the hilt of her knife until her knuckles turned white. “Arthur was the one that came after me, saw what they had done and killed them all. I will always be grateful to him for that. He made sure they suffered first.”

Rainey looked up at Javier and gave a weak smile. “Thank you for everything Javier. I’m not… good at showing appreciation, but I do mean it.”

“Anytime, Rainey. _Eres un tesoro_ ,” Javier replied.

“I’m all out of Spanish,” Rainey admitted.

Javier just shook his head and smiled to himself. Hooking a thumb in one of his belt loops, Javier watched her begin to twirl the blade around again. “How good are you with that knife anyway?”

Rainey shrugged and stared down at the knife, and then it was flying in the air toward Javier until it thudded into the trunk of the tree behind, pinning his hat to the tree with its tip. Javier let out a surprised exclamation and turned around, a hand reflexively touching the top of his head. He unpinned his hat and studied the small hole the blade had pierced through the top.

“ _Dios mío_ , woman! That was my favorite hat. A little warning next time, _sí_?”

Rainey smirked. “If I gave you warning then I wouldn’t get to hear you squeal like a _puto_.”

“I thought you were out of Spanish,” Javier pointed out before letting out a hearty laugh. Rainey chuckled as well, standing to retrieve her knife from Javier. When she grabbed it from his palm his fingers brushed against hers in a lingering caress before letting it go. Rainey looked at the ground and fought the heat rising in her cheeks.

“I might know a little more than I thought. Just the necessities.”

“Necessities. Of course.” Javier shook his head and touched her elbow. “Come. I will introduce you to some people you may not have met yet.”

Rainey followed Javier’s lead, allowing him to introduce her to Bill, Lenny, Uncle, the Reverend, Herr Strauss and Pearson. He pointed out Abigail and John who were arguing a ways off, but smartly they decided to save those introductions for another time. There was even a sweet little boy named Jack playing at the fringes of camp who handed Rainey a bunch of dandelions as they passed by. Everyone seemed friendly for a gang of outlaws － folk like her who were just trying to get by in the fast-changing world.

By the time night fell and Rainey had eaten some of Pearson’s stew she was exhausted. Arthur had long since commandeered Javier to talk business. She curled up that night in her bedroll with a pleasant sense of belonging. Perhaps she could fit in here after all and carve out a life with these people, if only she could find the courage to let them in.

 

✭✭✭

 

The clanging of pots and pans roused Rainey from her slumber. It was much later in the morning than she normally awoke, but she felt good despite the throbbing pain of her ribs. Neither Javier nor Arthur were about, but she didn’t have time to look since Pearson called her over to his wagon where he had a deer carcass hanging from a rig of wooden posts.

“Arthur says you’re handy with a knife,” Pearson said. “Was wondering if you might help me out skinning this deer Charles brought in.”

Sadie huffed behind the man and slammed down a crate of supplies a little harder than necessary, making both Pearson and Rainey start at the noise. “Sure,” Rainey replied. “Might have trouble pulling the hide off, though. Could get it done in half the time with a little help.”

“I’ll help,” Sadie volunteered. By the tone of her voice neither Rainey nor Pearson had much say in the matter.

Together the two women made quick work of the hide, Sadie pulling the hide down after Rainey had made the necessary cuts. “Ol’ Pearson seems to think the only things I’m good for is busy work,” she groused, yanking the skin the rest of the way off.

“Most men think that about women,” Rainey observed, wiping her hands on the grass before dipping them into a tub of water to clean them off.

Sadie snorted as she did the same. “Some women it’s true. Me, I did about as much huntin’ and guttin’ as any man. Surely more than Mr. Pearson over there. Man hardly leaves camp. Useless.”

“Lost all my gear a couple days ago, but maybe we could set some traps or borrow some weapons and do some hunting of our own. Seems like a lot of mouths to feed.”

“I would like that,” Sadie replied. “Give Charles and Arthur a little competition. They do most of the hunting. Javier brings in a fair amount of fish from time to time.” Sadie studied Rainey for a moment. “Seems a little sweet on you, Javier. Smiled an awful lot yesterday when he was showing you around.”

“I guess,” Rainey said awkwardly. “Figured he might just be looking for the same thing most men want from women.”

“Don’t know him well enough to say.” Sadie leaned closer. “I do know he has no problem gettin’ what he needs when it comes down to it. Never seemed like he needed to put much effort in chasin’ it is all, if that is what he’s lookin’ for.”

Rainey let the subject drop, a strange mixture of anxiety and elation pooling in her belly. She thanked Sadie for the help and wandered around, unsure of what to do with herself. Charles sat at a table in the middle of the camp, and Rainey wandered over to have a look at the supplies spread before him. He was fletching arrows with what looked like goose feathers.

“Morning,” Charles greeted without looking up.

“Morning. Mind if I sit?”

Charles gestured to an empty seat and Rainey watched him work in silence. It reminded her another mentor of sorts, watching him carefully split a feather down the middle and attach it to a straight shaft of wood with thin strips of binding made from tree bark. Beside him was a bowl of what looked to be a paste that he used to affix the length of the feather down to the notch at the end.

“You want to try?” Charles offered, nudging a length of wood her way.

Rainey took up the wood and began the familiar motions, Charles watching as she copied his movements. It wasn’t the first time she had fletched arrows, but her adeptness with knives did not carry over to other tasks. It took her much longer than Charles’s practiced movements, and the end result was not as well-crafted in comparison.

“You’ve done this before,” Charles mused.

“A time or two,” Rainey agreed. “Spent some time with a small tribe a few years ago. They taught me a great deal before government men chased them up North out of their homes.”

“Soon they won’t have much left for my people.”

“I thought you might be Native when we last met.”

“Half,” he corrected. “My father was a black man.” Charles took her arrow and inspected it, twisting it around between his first finger and thumb.

“I said I done it before. Never said I was much good at it,” Rainey said by way of apology. Charles only gave a small nod and added it to the rest propped up on a block to dry.

“The only thing for it is practice. And patience.”

They spent the afternoon crafting arrows. Charles was good company. A man of few wasted words, much like Arthur. He told Rainey as they worked that Arthur and Javier had ridden out early that morning. To do what he couldn’t say. She also learned that there was more members to the group that weren’t present, but other than that it was companionable silence.

Evening fell when hoofbeats rode into camp. Excitement rushed through Rainey, but she tamped it down and continued to sharpen her knife on the whetstone Charles had loaned her. Footsteps swished in the grass and approached her, and a familiar weight was settled on top of her head, and then another draped around her shoulders.

“What－”

Rainey reached up and removed the hat, staring down at it in a kind of disbelief. It was the one she had lost after the ambush, and on her shoulders her beloved hide jacket she thought she’d never see again. In the dying light of the day she looked up to see Javier shrouded in its last golden rays, bronzing his already tan skin and making him look like some sort of outlaw Mexican god. In his hands he held a wrapped bundle, which he held out to her like a paltry offering.

“This was all me and Arthur could salvage,” Javier said apologetically.

Rainey accepted the bundle and opened it up to reveal three more of her throwing knives. A breath escaped her and she looked up, searching for the words to express the wave of gratitude that was beginning to drown her. Her throat tightened dangerously.

“This… thank you. _Muchas gracias_.” She pressed the bundle close to her chest and looked over her shoulder, spotting Arthur brushing his horse at the hitching post, and looked back to Javier. “You didn’t have to do this. I had made my peace with the losses.”

“We take care of our own,” Javier disagreed. “ _Quiero que seas mío_.”

Rainey cocked her head to the side but Javier only gave a vague smile in return. “One day I’m gonna figure out some of these Spanish phrases.”

“One day,” Javier agreed. “Arthur has something else for you.”

Rainey hesitated at first but then reached out and gave his arm an affectionate squeeze before seeking out Arthur. The older man had moved on to brushing another horse, a chestnut Tennessee Walker that looked like it had seen better days.

“She ain’t much, but she’s yours if you want her,” Arthur said, quick to the point. Rainey patted the steed and took the brush over from Arthur.

“Javier told me you went after those men.”

“They’ll not be botherin’ you again.”

“Thank you, Arthur. You have done for me more than anyone, I’d wager,” Rainey replied. Arthur grimaced at the sentiment but nodded. Emotions were just as uncomfortable for the man as they were for Rainey.

“Just try not to get this one shot.” He patted reached into his satchel and produced a sugar cube and handed it to Rainey. “Got a name for her?”

“Hazel will do, I reckon.” The horse nuzzled her palm and licked up the treat. “Might be a time before I can run with her proper.”

“There will be time for that. Try to take care of yourself until then.”

Rainey produced a blade and had it pressed to Arthur’s abdomen in a swift motion, though it was much stiffer than her normal fluid movements. “I do okay.”

Arthur chuckled and prodded the barrel of his revolver harder where he had it pressed against her side. Rainey hissed in frustration and stepped away. “Still too slow,” Arthur said. He holstered his gun. “Knives won’t do much good against a bullet.”

Rainey shrugged. “Lost my pistol too. Guess I’ll make do until I can get me a piece. Never was great with one anyway.”

“All the more reason to stay out of trouble,” Arthur said pointedly.

Rainey scowled at him but didn’t argue. She bid him good night and followed the sounds of quiet strumming coming from the campfire. Charles and Uncle sat on logs and listened while Javier played the guitar. Rainey gave Charles a nod and sat herself next to him to listen and unrolled her bundle of knives on her lap. Arthur had been right － her small cache of knives would be useless in a gun fight.

“Can I?” Charles asked, indicating on of her blades. Rainey flipped one around neatly and handed it to him hilt first. He tested the balance and hummed in approval before handing it back. “Fine blades.”

“She could gut you with one quick, too,” Javier said, pausing to tune his instrument. A small frown played on his lips.

“You speak like you know from experience,” Charles goaded.

“I ain’t gutted him yet,” Rainey interjected. “Might have threatened him a little.”

“Always good with the ladies, Javier is,” Uncle piped up. “Like that time in Blackwater when －”

“ _Cállate_ old man,” Javier snapped.

Rainey watched the exchange with mild interest. Javier appeared annoyed, his face thrown into into sharp angles from the glow of the fire. Charles had amusement written on his face, though he declined to join in Uncle’s teasing.

“How ‘bout the time Abigail kicked you out of her tent with your pants still ‘round your ankles,” Uncle laughed, slapping his knee. The muscle in Javier’s jaw twitched as he clenched his teeth.

A nasty heat burned in Rainey’s belly, and she diverted her attention back to her knives. Uncle continued to give boisterous examples of Javier’s colorful run-ins with various women until the man had enough and stalked off, holding his guitar by the neck like he was trying to strangle it.

It was no surprise to Rainey that Javier was a ladies man, but the deep ache in her chest was. It was one thing that she finally admitted to herself that she liked the man, but it was another thing to find herself strangely bitter at the thought of his past escapades.

Not that they mattered to her, Rainey tried to reason. That kind of thing was his business.


	4. Cuatro

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's my birthday so here's a little present. I'm rapidly catching up to where I'm currently at, so updates might come slower to anyone following along.

Four days later and Arthur had not yet returned to camp. Rainey wasn’t truly worried, but boredom was setting in fast. Miss Grimshaw kept her busy with camp chores like laundry or mending. Though she didn’t mind the work it was making her crazy not to contribute in a more productive way. Her ribs were slowly getting better, but she still found rigorous activity impossible.  

Slipping away from washing dishes, Rainey wandered along the camp’s edge and stared longingly out over the lake. The water rippled a deep blue with the bright kiss of sunlight reflecting from its rippled surface. It was a fair day for fishing, and Rainey remembered Sadie saying something about Javier bringing in catches.

She hadn’t seen much of him since that night at the campfire. Aside from catching each other’s eye a few times they were both wrapped up in their own errands. Unless he had ridden out before she woke up Rainey was sure Javier was around. A nonchalant stroll along the bank of the lake revealed Javier at a table behind his tent with his own throwing knives laid out into front of him.

“Javier,” Rainey greeted. She sat across from him and studied his knives with curiosity. They were bigger than hers and had well-worn wooden hilts. “I heard you like to go fishing sometimes.” Giving in to temptation Rainey picked one up to study closer and test the weight in her hand.

“I do,” he replied, setting a knife down and leaning forward with his arms on the table. “You’re looking more yourself.”

“Yeah, got my own clothes back. Grateful for the loan, but I never was comfortable in skirts and dresses and all that.”

Silence stretched between them. Javier tapped a couple fingers on the table and studied her. There was a tension Rainey didn’t understand and a guarded expression on Javier’s face. Thinking now was a bad time, Rainey placed his knife down and got up. “I’ll leave you to it, I s’pose.”

Javier tsked, reclined against the back of his chair and crossed his arms. “You’re not even going to ask?”

“About…? Oh, fishing,” Rainey said, derailed by his strange mood. “I was, but you look busy. I don’t want to bother you.”

“Come on, for you I’ll make time. I know a good spot,” he offered.

Surprised but pleased Rainey followed him to his tent and waited while he dug out two fishing rods. “It’s a short ride, so we can walk it if you don’t want to mount a horse.”

“Walkin’s fine by me.”

Together they headed out of camp a ways to a winding river that cut through the woods. Tiny branches and leaves crunched underfoot as they wove their way through the trees, and overhead birds trilled from their perches. Javier was unusually quiet, but the walk was too enjoyable for idle chit-chat. The moment they found themselves  surrounded by trees Rainey had felt more at ease, and the sound of the flowing water soothed her antsy nerves.

“Thanks for taking me,” Rainey said. “Camp was starting to feel real small.”

“Been on your own a long time?” Javier asked, offering up some crickets for bait.

“Mostly,” she answered. “Never really fit in anywhere. Wasn’t about to lead the life my pa wanted me to. Left the ranch not long after Arthur and made my own way.” She baited her hook and cast her line into the water.“What about you?”

“Back in my country, I fought in a revolution,” Javier said, casting his own line. “Then I fell in love with a woman and killed a man for her only to find out I wasn’t who she wanted after all. Had to run here because of the bounty on my head. Fell in with Dutch soon after that.”

Unsure of what to say, Rainey settled with, “Stupid woman.”

Javier raised his eyebrows, and Rainey felt the back of her neck begin to heat. “Not many women would agree with you.”

“You’re a decent man as far as I can tell, I mean,” Rainey explained. “I met plenty of bad men, but you ain’t one of them.”

They whiled away a good chunk of the morning at the river talking little and catching a decent haul for Pearson. Rainey would sneak glances at her companion every now and then, worried at this somber version of the playful man she was getting used to. Setting her borrowed rod aside, she reached down into her boot and pulled out the crumpled map she had managed to hold on to.

Javier watched her curiously when he heard the crinkling of the paper as she unfolded it. Rainey walked over to him and leaned her shoulder into his so he could better see the crude image. 

“Been holding onto this. It’s where I was going before I was jumped,” Rainey explained. “Man I won it from said there was supposed to be a big sum from some old train robbery. Boys that did it didn’t live to collect.”

“This could be a lot of places,” Javier noted with a skeptical frown.

“I thought so at first, but these mountains,” she tapped the smallest peak, “I know this place.”

A long strand of Javier’s hair brushed Rainey’s cheek, and it made her aware of just how close they were standing. She moved away slightly, allowing Javier to hold onto the map. A boyish smile was beginning to bloom on his face, breaking through his previous brooding mood. He looked to her and shook the map at her in excitement.

“This could be something,” he said. “Where is this place?”

“Big Valley,” Rainey replied.

Javier whistled and reached into his vest pocket, plucking out a cigarette and lighting it in thought. Big Valley was a long ride through mountains and forest coming off winter to boot. Then suddenly the corner of his mouth turned up and he cut his dark eyes to to look at her from the corner of his eye. It was a mischievous expression that made Rainey anxious and excited at the same time.

“It’s a long ride, _chica_. Even longer with sore ribs,” Javier reasoned. “Four throwing knives ain’t much in the way of protection, either.”

“Maybe I’ll see if Charles wants to go then,” Rainey deadpanned.

Javier’s playful attitude seemed to melt, turning his features dark. Rainey wasn’t exactly sure what she said wrong, but it made guilt swell inside her. “That was a joke,” she added.

“Huh,” Javier grunted, crossing one arm over his chest while the other held his cigarette up. “Very funny.”

Unsure of how to lighten the mood Rainey smiled awkwardly and tapped Javier on the arm with the back of her hand. “You know I was gonna ask,” she chided.

Javier held out her map. “I never know anything with you.”

Rainey reached forward and plucked the cigarette from his fingers, taking a drag before handing it back. “So are you in or aren’t you?”

“We’d have to clear it with Dutch,” Javier replied, “but you know I’m in.”

Rainey puffed the smoke out in an aggressive exhale and rested her hands on her hips. “I never know anything with you neither, you know.”

“ _Te importaría descubrir_?” He shook his head and seemed to laugh at himself. Rainey narrowed her eyes in annoyance and wanted to smack a translation out of him. Javier tossed his cigarette aside and grew serious once again. “You want to wait for Arthur to get back?”

It was a tempting thought, but there was something thrilling to Rainey about riding out with just Javier. It had been so long since she trusted someone new. Javier had been nothing but considerate for an outlaw with blood on his hands, and the revelation that she trusted him surprised her.

“Who knows when that’ll be,” Rainey answered. “I say we head out as soon as possible. Don’t think we’ll need more than just the two of us anyway.”

It was as if night turned to day and Javier lit up at her words. The man’s moods were starting to make Rainey’s head spin. “Come on, let’s go talk to Dutch.”

 

✭✭✭

 

Dutch first scrutinized the map and Rainey even longer. He had always reminded Rainey of a snake, watching and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. A man like that had no real use for anyone he couldn’t get something from. “How sure are you about this?”

Rainey shrugged and glanced at Javier. “‘Bout as sure as anything else I suppose. The man who had the map was awful sore about losing it.”

Dutch ignored Rainey and looked from the map to Javier, as if silently asking if he was serious about this. “You really wanna ride off to Big Valley on a maybe? Treasure hunting? I have other jobs that need tending.” Rainey had experienced this secret language of men before, as if she were inconsequential in the conversation. It sent heat creeping down the back of her neck.

Javier gestured with his hand and shrugged. “About as sure as anything we do. Rainey recognized those mountains so we know where to look. It’s only a couple days ride even if it turns up empty.”

From the corner of the tent Molly O’Shea sat on the bed with her back to them while she primped her red hair in a small round mirror sitting atop a crude wooden stand. They locked gazes in the reflection, and Molly rolled her eyes and offered a sympathetic smile.

“Oh let ‘em go, Dutch,” Molly chimed in. A look of annoyance twisted Dutch’s face beneath the shadow of his black hat, but he nodded and thrust out the map toward Rainey.

“Go on,” he agreed, gripping the map as she went to take it, “just don’t come back empty handed, one way or the other.” They stared each other down for a split second before he let go.

Rainey didn’t trust her words so she nodded in response and left Dutch’s tent with Javier. A scowl deepened the corners of her mouth. Javier sported a jaunty grin in juxtaposition and bumped her shoulder with his own. “Why so sullen, eh? That was good news!”

Not wanting to explain her intense distrust of Dutch Rainey dodged the question. “I still need a gun.”

“Can you shoot?” Javier asked as he motioned for her to follow him to his tent.

Rainey gave a noncommittal hum. “Not as well as I throw knives.”

After a quick dig through a simple carved chest Javier produced a well-worn gun belt and holster. He wrapped it around Rainey’s hips while standing so close she could feel the warmth radiating from his body. Too stunned to move she allowed him to fasten it in place while her heart beat a fast throbbing rhythm in her rib cage. Javier stepped away when he was done and retrieved a pistol from the chest as well. He checked the chamber and then held it out to to her grip-first. Rainey turned the tarnished gun over in her hands.

“That will do for now,” Javier said. “With any luck we won’t need it.”

Rainey tucked the pistol away into the tooled leather holster at her hip. “We can leave now and get a head start, what do you say? We still have a good half a day we can make.”

“That’s the spirit!”

The pair gathered some supplies around camp and met back at their horses. Hefting her now-heavier satchel Rainey realized how much her ribs still ached, but she was determined to ride as far out away from camp as possible. No Dutch, no Miss Grimshaw － just open skies and the road ahead. With Javier along things were bound to be interesting.

Rainey couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was that drew her to the man. As quick as he was to laugh and smile he was just as quick to temper. Normally that quality in a man would frighten Rainey, but there was a gentleness deep down that put her at ease. While struggling to find a comfortable position in her saddle she soothed herself by watching the languid grace Javier possessed when he mounted Boaz. When Rainey realized she was staring she blushed and looked away before he noticed.

Together they took the trail out of Horseshoe Overlook and turned toward the long road to Big Valley. In half a day they could cover a lot of ground, but it soon became apparent a faster pace was too ambitious for Rainey. After half an hour of a grueling canter Rainey slowed Hazel to a trot while biting her lip to distract from the agony in her side. Javier rode ahead a ways before he noticed she had fallen behind. He doubled back and rode Boaz up beside her.

“You good?”

“Great,” Rainey lied through gritted teeth. She fought the urge to wrap an arm around herself.

“Want to race?” Javier laughed at Rainey’s glare. “Easy, _chica_ , before you pull a knife on me again. We can take it easy for a while.”

With an slower pace riding became more bearable. Javier remained beside her, close enough so that their legs occasionally brushed. Boaz seemed to conspire with his rider and bumped them together often, but Rainey found she didn’t mind. It was comforting to allow the contact and not to feel that growing panic that usually surged whenever someone got too close.

Fat grey clouds drifted in and hung low in the sky. In the distance flashes of lightning rippled across the horizon and the far rumble of thunder sent them warning. They slowed their horses and picked their way through the woods to find a spot to camp before the storm broke over them. The air had chilled, and by the time Rainey helped Javier set up a small tent the wind had blown in the first rogue drops of rain.

“In you go, it’s about to let loose,” Javier instructed.

Rainey was going to argue but a loud rumble of thunder heralded the first onslaught of the storm. A heavy shower cascaded down and began to beat a descending rhythm through the trees. Javier quickly moved about, securing the horses and grabbing their bedrolls from their backs. It only took a couple minutes for Javier to take shelter with Rainey, but by that point his blue jacket and serape were already soaked. Rainey accepted the mostly dry bedrolls and threw them out in the small space while Javier divested himself of his outerwear and dripping hat.

Even in a simple white shirt Javier looked immaculate with his slightly damp hair still neatly secured at the base of his neck. After the long ride Rainey felt like a mess with wispy strands of her own hair escaping her braid and tangling about her face. Mud had also kicked up onto her pants and jacket, the former being ill-fitted boy’s clothing and the latter an imperfect article she had crafted herself.

Rainey removed the muddy hide in favor of draping a blanket around her shoulders. Noticing Javier’s shivers she scooted over and dropped part of it over him, pressing close into his side to better share. Nothing was said, though Javier became very still for a few moments. Eventually he reached into his breast pocket for a cigarette.

“Hopefully it doesn’t drown us out,” Rainey said. She rubbed her chilled hands together and brightened when she remembered what she had stashed in her satchel. “Got something to warm us up though.”

Javier watched her with interest as she dug through her the leather bag. Once she retrieved a half-full bottle of whiskey she presented it to him with a sly smile. “Might have nicked this from Pearson,” she admitted as an afterthought.

“ _Bandita de mi corazón_!” Javier exclaimed, pressing a dramatic hand to his heart. He opened the bottle and took a healthy swig. “Always full of surprises.”

Rainey swiped the bottle and took her own thoughtful sip. “We should be able to cover more ground tomorrow. Might even make it there before nightfall.”

“Perhaps,” Javier shrugged. “We’re in no hurry.” Fingers brushed her wounded side in a brief whisper of contact before the hand pulled away and rested on the ground behind her so Javier could lounge back. “No need to push yourself so hard.”

Rainey took another much larger drink and capped the bottle as she grimaced. She wanted to be annoyed at all his subtle touches of late, but it was his concern that grated her. “I can handle it,” she snapped. Javier sat up at her tone. “I figured you would want to get this over with quick anyway in case Dutch needs you.”

Javier frowned and tilted his head to better look her in the eyes. “How wrong you are,” he said in a low voice. It sent a tingle down her spine, and it was as if she only noticed how small the tent really was. “I am where I want to be.”

An internal debate warred in his expression, as if he wanted to say more. Rainey was disappointed when he left the blanket around her shoulders, tossed his cigarette into the rain and bedded down. What she was expecting she wasn’t sure, but it felt like she had missed out.

Mimicking Javier she laid down with her back pressed to his and spread the blanket over both of them. It was too chill to leave Javier without warmth to spare her pride, she reasoned. She stared at the worn canvas of the tent until she drifted off surrounded by the sound of the storm and Javier’s steady breathing behind her.


	5. Cinco

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep saying "Updates will come slower" and yet I just can't help myself. 
> 
> Also, possible trigger warning for a brief mention of abuse/trauma, but nothing graphic.

The next morning Rainey woke alone in the tent with the blanket wrapped snug around her. It was still overcast outside when she emerged but the storm looked to have passed. Javier had started a small fire and was sipping a cup of coffee from a tin cup. Rainey sat across from him on a dry rock and held her hands in front of the flames. Once the chill left them she undid her braid and started combing her fingers through her messy brown hair.

Javier watched her as he finished his coffee. “We can get a move on after we eat.”

Rainey grunted in response and fumbled a loose braid over her shoulder. Even after a solid rest her body ached, but she was not about to complain after snapping at him the night before. Javier thoughtfully refilled the tin cup with more coffee and handed it across to her. His gaze fell to the multiple white scars on her fingers as she accepted it, but he made no comment.

They ate a quick breakfast of heated beans and broke down camp soon after. Once the horses were packed they continued on their journey. The damp wooded landscape began to slowly level into the first stretches of valley, and by late afternoon snow-capped mountains loomed tall on either side of them. Little Creek River wound its path a ways off to their right.

“Javier! Hold up,” Rainey called.

Another one of his moods had taken him and he’d been riding ahead all day. Rainey wasn’t much of a conversationalist, but the silence had irked her. It was tempting to yell at him to find out just what his problem was, but fear stayed her tongue. Fear of the truth or fear that he would leave she could not say. Javier doubled back to face her with one hand patting Boaz as he murmured to him in Spanish.  

Rainey stretched gingerly in the saddle. “There’s a good place to camp up there in them woods ahead. River cuts by close too. We ain’t making that cave before nightfall, and I could use a rest.”

“Lead the way.”

Rainey directed Hazel down the path a ways longer and then cut off the path and into the woods. “It will be easier to walk from here,” she said as she slid from her saddle.

They led their horses through the trees into a site that had been used before. A long cold fire pit was ringed by chopped stumps of wood, and empty bottles littered the ground beside it. Rainey secured Hazel and checked the perimeter to make sure no one was still hanging around. When she came back Javier was gone, but Boaz was tethered next to Hazel so Rainey decided to make the fire.

A hearty blaze was going by the time Javier returned. Rainey had thrown out her bedroll on the ground next to it since the ground was dry, though how the storm from yesterday had missed this place was beyond her. A blade idly weaved over and under her fingers as she frowned into the flames. When she heard his approach she looked up as he placed an old bucket filled with water on the ground. The knife in her hand slipped, and she hissed as the blade nicked her index finger.

Javier’s normally bound hair was damp and loose about his shoulders. Droplets of water dripped down his toned bare chest, and his clothes and gun belt were slung over his forearm. His pants hung dangerously low on his hips, revealing a trail of dark hair that ran down from his belly button and out of sight beneath the waistband. Rainey assumed he must have washed in the river.

Heat flooded her cheeks when she saw Javier’s smirk as he sat down on a stump. She stabbed her knife into the ground and sucked her smarting finger into her mouth, tasting the copper tang of blood. The embarrassment of being caught staring stung more, as well as the acknowledgment that she liked what she saw. She had seen handsome men before, but she didn’t understand this newfound desire that gnawed at her belly.

“Found that bucket by the river,” Javier said. “Caught a couple fish for dinner.”

Rainey used her nervous energy to clean the catch with ease and set the fillets on a flat rock with some herbs to cook. Once finished she stood and fled toward the river to rinse her hands. “I’ll be back,” she called over her shoulder.

When she returned Javier was fully dressed again and poking at the fire with a stick. A frown carved a deep line on his face, and when she walked by he loosely encircled her wrist with his fingers. “Rainey…” She froze and watched as he turned her hand over in his, idly tracing a couple scars. “Do I truly frighten you so much?”

“Frighten?” Rainey echoed, distracted by his touch. She extracted her hand but sat next to him, licking her dry lips. “You don’t frighten me, Javier.”

“Good,” he replied. “I would never hurt you, _chica_.”

His dark chocolate eyes rooted her to the spot in its intensity. Blood rushed in her ears as he tucked a strand of errant hair out of her face and cupped her cheek. The rough calluses of his fingertips stroked her jawbone and then his warm lips were molding against her own, firm and yet gentle. Rainey leaned in to the touch trembling like an autumn leaf. Javier moaned against her mouth and traced his tongue along her bottom lip.

With a gasp Rainey pulled back, her chest heaving for breath, a panic replacing that elation she had so desperately wanted to give in to. Javier looked at her through half lidded eyes, brow twisted in confusion as if he were trying to work out what went wrong. Rainey stood and wrapped her arms tight around herself. It was too much, too confusing; she felt hot and cold all at once. Memories she tried hard to forget came bursting forth, and though she wanted to explain to Javier it wasn’t _him_ no words would escape her lips.

Her legs ran her back through the woods and to the river’s edge. Hot tears spilled over her cheeks as she remembered the greedy mouths of the men Arthur had saved her from. Their jeers and commands echoed in her head. The rotten smell of their breath, their unwelcome touch, the pain. All her senses were assaulted, and she dropped to her knees and pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes as if that could make it stop.

One thought after another raced out of control long after the sun set and she was finally spent, a dull emptiness taking residence in her chest. The scared little girl in her wanted to leave everything behind and run like before, but Rainey steeled her resolve. She was a woman grown, and she would not do that to Javier. If everything was ruined so be it, but he would at least know that he did nothing wrong. Besides, they had a job to do, and she owed him that if nothing else.

When she came back to camp Javier was lying in his bedroll. Rainey got into her own and stared up at the stars, relieved to have a few more hours to work out exactly what she was going to say. The glittering lights lured her to sleep before she ever figured out the first word.

It was rare for Rainey to wake up at dawn, and even more rare to beat Javier awake. Her stomach growled at her for not having eaten dinner. After stoking the fire she started some coffee and munched on a few strips of dried beef while she waited for Javier to wake. The smell of coffee stirred him, and when he sat up he looked surprised to see her.

“Rainey－”

Rainey held up a hand. “Look, I’m real sorry about last night. I handled things poor. Now is just…I need…”  She shook her head to clear it and sighed. “It’s complicated. Can we just focus on the job for now?”

The conversation did not turn out the way Rainey meant it to. She could have kicked herself when she saw the stiff nod Javier gave in response. Even to her it was obvious he had taken her words as rejection, and as much as she wanted to correct him she supposed for now it was. In repentance Rainey poured Javier a cup of coffee and left it on the stump nearest to him before packing up camp.

Rainey spent a lot of time staring at mountaintops once they departed. The alternative was staring at Javier’s back as he had taken to riding ahead again. The slouch of his body in the saddle and his silent chain-smoking told Rainey what she needed to know of his mood. She only hoped they could find this treasure and the take was good enough to put a smile back on his face.

Ahead, Javier pulled Boaz up short so sudden Rainey almost ran into him. There was a group of three men congregated off the side of the trail, their mounts grazing beside them. Along the way they had passed several strangers, but Javier had appeared unconcerned until now. Rainey didn’t much care for their sinister disposition. One of the men pointed in their direction, and then they were all mounting up at once and riding after them.

“It’s that greaser’s horse!” she heard one of them shout.

“Go, go!” Javier shouted.

“Who the fuck are they?” Rainey yelled as she spurred Hazel back the way they came. They cut onto another trail just as gunshots whizzed past.

“O’Driscolls!”

Javier drew his revolver and gave return fire. Rainey had heard Arthur talk about O’Driscolls enough to have her drawing her borrowed gun. Their pursuers were gaining on them quick, and already Hazel was tiring from the hard pace they thundered. The tree cover was already starting to into another open stretch ahead. Pain lanced her side when she twisted around, but she took a deep breath and fired off a shot. It missed all three men and landed well above their heads into the trunk of a tree.

“Ay, _chica_ , you weren’t kidding!”

Javier fired another two shots as they tore out into the open. One went through an O’Driscoll’s throat and felled him clean off his horse. The other two spurred their mounts harder, one of the men nearing Hazel as the horse labored for breath. Rainey tried another shot but missed again from all the jarring around. The outlaw laughed at her failure and pointed his gun, but something caught his attention and he turned the shot to the right and fired.

Rainey heard the curse in Spanish and saw Javier grab his arm tightly while struggling to keep Boaz calm. The O’Driscoll pursuing him was gone, but blood seeped through his shirt and fingers and he was barely holding onto his gun. The man took aim at Javier again and cracked the reins to gain on him, pulling level with Hazel. A dull roar rushed in Rainey’s ears.

Rainey holstered her gun and slipped her feet from the stirrups. She slid one leg over and let out a howl as she jumped the space between their horses. Mid-leap the man diverted his attention back toward her right as she collided with his body. A gunshot went off as they flew to the ground in a tangled heap.

Adrenaline was the only thing kept Rainey conscious. Pain roared through her body, but her shaking fingers steadied when they gripped her knife. The man crawled for his gun, but Rainey was faster. The blade flew and thudded into the side of his neck. Rainey collapsed on her back and struggled to breathe, groaning and rolling to her good side to help the process.

“ _Qué huevos!_ ” Javier exclaimed after he jumped down from Boaz and ran to her side. He knelt down and helped her to sit up. “Are you okay? What were you thinking?”

“M’fine,” Rainey wheezed. “Couldn’t get a good throw from all the bouncing. Where’s Hazel?”

Javier shook his head. “Dead. O’Driscoll shot her by accident when you jumped.”

Rainey stared at him blank-faced and then broke out into pained laughter. “Shit. Arthur ain’t never gonna let me live it down.”

Javier joined her with his own cackle and helped her stand up. Rainey touched his injured arm with gentle fingers as she steadied herself against him.

“It’s nothing,” he assured her. “It can wait. We need to keep moving.”

Rainey looted the O’Driscoll while Javier transferred what he could from Hazel to Boaz after cinching a piece of cloth around his wound. For her efforts she came away with a better pistol, a few dollars and a health cure. Just the prospect of getting back on a horse even for a short ride had her spinning the cap off and taking a large dose. She limped over to Javier and offered him the bottle, then turned to Boaz and eyed him with dread. Boaz shifted and appeared to take a step away from her.

Javier laughed around the neck of the bottle and pulled it from his lips. “Boaz is catching on to your bad reputation.”

Rainey shot him a glare and struggled her way on Boaz’s back. “Just for that I’m taking the reins.” Javier jumped up behind her with his body pressed close and his breath tickling her ear. An arm snaked around her waist and rested against her belly.

“Whatever you want _mi reina_.”

Rainey guided Boaz back to the main path and toward their quarry. It was a short ride to where Little Creek River almost made the loop that Rainey had been searching for. As much as she was enjoying the warm press of Javier against her aching body she needed to look at his arm. Once they were out of sight she stopped Boaz and had Javier sit down on a fallen tree. Rainey untied the makeshift bandage.

The bullet had ripped through the arm of his jacket on the outside, but the hole was too small for her to get a good look at the damage. “I need to get to the wound.” She helped him out of his jacket and began to undo the top buttons on his long sleeve shirt. His eyes glittered, but he made no comment as she pulled the shirt over his head and eased it down from his wounded arm to jar it as little as possible.

“See? Just a flesh wound.” It had stopped bleeding and needed cleaned, but Javier was right. The bullet had punctured through the outside of his arm and exited clean and nowhere near the bone. She used water from a canteen to wash it and wrapped gauze around his bicep. “You didn’t have to tackle him off his horse for me.”

“He shot you,” Rainey replied, “and I couldn’t get a good throw.”

Javier smiled and caught her hand before she moved away. “I’ve seen you throw, _chica._ You would have hit him.”

Rainey looked down at him. The truth was she could have hit the O’Driscoll, but when she saw him land the shot on Javier it had sent her into a blind fury. Unbidden her hand moved to rest on the rough stubble of Javier’s cheek, shocking them both. “He shot you,” she repeated.

Gathering what courage she possessed she bent down and pressed her lips to his, and then a second time, and by the third his lips parted and she sunk into his kiss and allowed him to guide her. He folded her in his arms and parted her lips with his tongue in such a reverent way heat exploded up from the base of Rainey’s spine and she felt like she was floating. A low rumble vibrated in Javier’s chest. With a brief touch of his tongue to hers he seemed to force himself to pull away, though Rainey tried to follow.

“ _Dios mío_ , Rainey,” Javier muttered, taking in a steadying breath.

Rainey blushed but held eye contact. She traced the scars on his face down to the lips that she wanted more of. “I am damaged, Javier. I have never been able to feel anything but scared of this kind of closeness before.” She swallowed and traced the patch of hair on his chin with her index finger. “I don’t wanna be scared.”

“I ain’t never been very patient, _chica_ ,” Javier admitted, trailing a hand down her back to rest at her hips. “I would try if you let me.” He brought the back of her hand to his lips. “I am an outlaw, but I would never take from you what didn’t give freely.”


	6. Seis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love you guys, just remember that.

A new dynamic was forming between them. It was a shift that thrilled and terrified her with how unfamiliar the territory was. Javier, on the other hand, was _very_ familiar. He had mounted up behind her and placed the long leather strap in her hand. “Take the reins.”

As Rainey led them deeper into Big Valley Javier was doing his best to drive her crazy. When he wrapped an arm around her he had rested his hand innocuously on her thigh, and his head was angled just so each exhale tickled her ear. Eventually Rainey realized he did these things on purpose when he began to speak Spanish to her sporadically in low tones that made her shiver even if she hadn’t a clue what he was saying.

It occurred to her that this was closer to the real Javier － a more unrestrained Javier － and it made her wonder how much he held back on her account. Rainey wondered if she was playing with fire. She was almost certain of it, but she couldn’t help but melt back into him while she tried to pay attention to the mountain peaks surrounding them.

“So this is the charming ladies man Uncle kept yappin’ about?” Rainey ventured.

Javier gave a low hum and squeezed her thigh. “I have a reputation. What can I say? I am a passionate man. Do you think less of me?”

“Do I think less of a thieving, murdering, and wanted outlaw?” Rainey quipped with sarcasm. “Depends. Am I just another lady you’re trying to charm?”

“No, _cariño_ , this is different. _Nunca me importó sobre esas mujeres_.” The words felt like an intimate caress that made her shiver.   

“Whoa, Boaz,” Rainey grudgingly interrupted, halting them. She turned excitedly to Javier and pointed. To the left was a familiar grouping of three mountains, the smallest missing its top chunk.  “There it is!” She fumbled the map from her satchel and spread it out to double-check, holding it up to the mountain in question. “What do you think?”

“I think we better check it out.”

They left Boaz to graze while they poked around the base of the mountains looking for any sign of an opening. Large boulders and rocks forced them to climb around, and the excitement soon turned to exasperation when no cave was evident. Rainey glared down at the map when the second scouring of the area turned up nothing. The crude drawing indicated an opening right in front of where she was standing, but the only thing she could see were rocks, rocks, and more rocks. She crumpled the paper and tossed it to the ground with a curse.

“Ain’t nothing here,” she concluded. “It should be right here!”

Javier moved to stand beside her, plucking the discarded map off the ground and smoothing it out. “It should be here,” he agreed.

He strode forward and began examining the rocks. The largest boulder was much too heavy to be moved, so Javier began shifting some of the much smaller rocks to the side. Concerned he was going to reopen his wound Rainey was about to tell him they needed a new plan when he let out an exclamation. Beneath several rocks was an opening, though not so much a cave as a small opening big enough for a single body to wriggle through. Rainey crouched next to Javier and eyeballed it skeptically.

“Looks like one of us is going in,” Javier said after he plunged his arm into the darkness and and pulled it out with nothing but air. They exchanged glances and Javier gave a nonchalant shrug. “You _are_ smaller than me.”

“You just don’t want to get that pretty face dirty,” Rainey huffed, making Javier smirk as she peered closer into the darkness. She could only imagine what could be lurking in a hole in the ground like that. “If I scream you better drag me out quick.”

Before she could lose her nerve she lowered herself to her belly and propelled herself into the hole with her elbows and the toes of her boots. As much as her body protested in pain the squeeze was so tight she doubted even Javier was small enough to fit through, not that she had plans of admitting further that her poor choice was catching up with her.

Rainey had an inkling Javier was trying to teach her a lesson.

The space was impossible to move in, though a few wayward pinpricks of light penetrated the darkness ahead. When Rainey got close enough she could see where they came from; the cave was really only a fallen pile of rocks and the light rays of sun that filtered through the cracks. If she listened close she swore she could hear the rocks shifting. One wrong move and the whole thing could collapse on top of her.

Barely breathing she stretched her arm out in front of her to feel around. The tips of her fingers met with rock and her heart skipped a beat when it shifted. Rainey held her breath and waited before feeling around the other side. A drop of sweat slid down between her shoulder blades. Javier’s voice filtered in from behind, but she could barely hear him. There was no way she was about to shout back.

Fabric brushed her left hand. She gave the material an experimental tug. It was heavy, but it moved when she pulled it. Another tug with more force burned like hell in her ribs, and Rainey felt the bag come loose from an unseen weight that had been pinning it. Rainey froze. A skittering descent of debris in the darkness penetrated the silence.

The crumbling of rock sent panic flooding through her veins. As quick as she could she dug her free hand in the dirt and pushed herself backward while trying to drag the bag with her. More rocks shifted as the material seemed to be caught again. Dust swirled up into her nostrils, and before she could fight it a heavy sneeze escaped her. The noise echoed and a heavy thump in front of her had her scrabbling back as fast as she could.

“Pull me out! Pull! Pull!” Rainey shouted frantically. She couldn’t see if she was near enough to the opening for Javier to reach her, but a strong grip on her ankles yanked her backward and out into the sunlight as the rocks caved in with a crashing finality.

Chest heaving, covered in dust, dirt and mud, Rainey collapsed back against a boulder still clutching the bag. Javier was cursing rapidly in Spanish with his hands wildly gesturing, but she ignored him and tore open the flap to look inside.  A giddy laugh escaped her. Gold glinted in the light, and she held up the ingot for Javier to see. “There’s more in here. And some jewelry and cash too.”

“I hope so after that!” Javier knelt by her and turned her head this way and that as if inspecting her.

She waved his hands away and heaved herself up. “I’m fine. ‘Sides, _I’m smaller than you_ , remember? It was your idea that I go in the first place.”

Javier’s face seemed to turn to stone. He braced his hands on his hips and refused to look her in the eye.

“Come on, everything is fine!” Rainey gestured at the bag. “We got what we came for.”

Javier did not seem to share her enthusiasm. Removing his bowler he swiped a hand through his hair to catch escaped strands from his ponytail and stuffed the hat back on his head to pin them from his face. It was an unconscious gesture Rainey had seen from him before, though she was still trying to get a handle on all of his moods. The man was impossibly confusing.

“Let’s get out of here before any more O’Driscolls come around.”

“Sure.”

Rainey tried to lift the bag, but the heavy ingots pulled on every sore muscle in her body. Javier swooped in and relieved her of the burden without a word. With a hand on Boaz’s muzzle Rainey watched as he distributed the weight of the treasure in his saddlebags. Every part of her was screaming, but she thought it was a good idea not to mention it.

“Maybe,” Rainey said, nearly biting a chunk out of the inside of her cheek to stifle a groan as she mounted Boaz, “we can stop off in Valentine on our way back. A hot bath sounds mighty fine.” Rainey glanced at him over her shoulder when he was settled. “Might help your sour mood.”

Javier chose not to dignify that with a response, but Rainey could almost feel the heated daggers from his glare stabbing her in the back. Even Boaz felt tense beneath her as if sensing his owner’s state of mind. After a while of trying to keep him in line Javier’s arms slipped around her and took the reins. It was as close as he had gotten to touching her since they set out aside from the bare minimum for balance. Rainey noticed because she had been anticipating those casual touches.

She discovered she missed them, craved them even.

All Rainey wanted to do was lean back in his pseudo-embrace to rest her battered body and absorb every sensation caused just by being near Javier. The last few days were catching up quick, and she admitted to herself that maybe the jump from Hazel was a bad idea. Now poor Boaz was carrying two and the going was slow, which only prolonged the discomfort of riding.

“Stop here Javier?” Rainey punctuated her request giving his right knee a squeeze.

Javier tensed and so did Boaz, but he was able to get the horse to stop. Rainey pressed herself back against Javier briefly to get enough room to force a leg over to dismount. The jolt when she landed took the last bit of energy she had to hide, but she managed not to cry out. Boaz puffed a breath like a sigh of relief when Javier slid off as well.

“I need a break,” Rainey said. “So does Boaz.”

A wry smile curved his lips. “I bet you miss Hazel about now, _sí_?”

“Don’t be an ass, _muchacho_.” Rainey poked him in the chest. “I did it for you. I didn’t know she was gonna get shot. I just...reacted.”

“It was reckless.” The stiffness in his voice sounded lessened, the admonition more an observation.

“Yeah you’re welcome.” Tightness in her shoulders was beginning to creep into the back of her neck and give her a headache, and the last thing she wanted was a lecture. Arthur would supply that later she was sure.

Rainey turned her back to him to pretend to examine some herbs while they were resting. Javier touched her shoulders and guided her to turn back around and look at him. “I am grateful. I am. You are a warrior, and I admire that. Just be more careful.”

“I’m just a little banged up is all. You don’t need to worry about me. I won’t do nothing I can’t handle.”  

“Good. Because I don’t need Arthur coming after me with his hunting knife.”

“You ain’t my keeper.” Rainey missed the affronted tilt of Javier’s head as she lowered herself to rest on the ground. The lush grass felt so divine she thought she would never get up again. “Arthur would have no reason to think so. He damn well knows I do what I please.”

“Mhm.”

Craning her neck to look at him Rainey pulled the hat from her head and squinted up at Javier. There was tenseness in the set of his shoulders. Rainey wondered if maybe Javier preferred his women obedient and soft. It made a new ache spread through her chest to think so.

Obedient she would never be; and soft, well… Rainey held no illusions about being a great beauty with her lanky body, grim features and predilection for getting her hands dirty. If anything she was all angles with sharp edges and straight lines.

“It ain’t gonna change, you know,” Rainey said in less edgy tone. “I ain’t one of those… delicate women, if that’s what you like. I like you, but I won’t change for no man. Ever.”

“ _Eres terca_ ,” Javier muttered as he settled down next to her and produced a cigarette. Taking the hat off his head he stared off in thought, smoking and letting the crisp breeze ruffle the strands about his face. When he caught Rainey’s scowl he smirked and handed her the cigarette. “ _You’re stubborn_. Willful. I like that, but it can be infuriating. I was only worried, _chica_.”

Rainey realized Javier reminded her much of Arthur. Arthur always looked out for her while teaching her about the harder knocks of life, but he never held being a woman against her capabilities. It relaxed some of her tension to recognize the same in Javier. Not once had Javier acted like the other men she had encountered, who treated her as something to be used or disregarded.

And he worried about her. That revelation warmed her to her toes and made the risks worth it. Feelings like _this_ for a man were new, and she felt herself giving in to them. In this way Javier was very much not like Arthur, for those girlish musings were a pale comparison to the simmering want for the man beside her. Even now she thought about the feel of those warm lips against hers, or how it would feel to curl her fingers in his dark hair.

Rainey scooted closer and brought her head in as if to tell Javier a secret. “Maybe… maybe the whole horse thing wasn’t the greatest idea.”

Javier turned his head toward her, his lips inches from her own. A smug smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he reached forward to grab her braid and stroke his hand down the length of it until it dropped back down over her shoulder. A puff of dust drifted into the air.

Javier leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “You need a bath.”

Pure disappointment seeped onto Rainey’s face when he pulled away to stand up. “Come on, _levántate_.” Javier held out a hand out, his smile bright and sparkling in his eyes. “We can make it back to the river before twilight.”

 

✭✭✭

 

Never had Rainey been so glad to see a little podunk town like Valentine.

The ride back had been torturous and slow as her body had stiffened up. A quick wash in the frigid river the night before had rid her of the worst of the grime, but she still felt an unpleasant grittiness on her scalp. All she could think about was a nice hot bath and a stiff drink.

Javier stopped Boaz in front of the hotel and helped Rainey down. “You head inside, get a room and a bath. Take these with you.” He unstrapped two of the saddlebags and draped them over her shoulder.

“Where are you goin’?”

“To pick up some things. I won’t be long.”

Not needing to be told twice, Rainey disappeared inside the hotel and greeted the man behind the counter. She slid money across the counter. “A room, two baths and two hot meals.”

“Upstairs, second door on the right. Expecting company?” the older man asked.

“A Mexican gentleman will be joining me shortly.”

Rainey ignored the disapproving twist to the man’s mouth and headed upstairs in annoyance. Once she dropped off the saddlebags and concealed them under the bed she headed down to bathe. Stripping her soiled clothes and stepping into the steaming water was even better than the last time, and she thought if she died in this tub today she could die happy.

No sooner than she had scrubbed the grime from her skin a knock sounded at the door. Rainey frowned. “I’m good!” Usually the bath girls never bothered her. Instead of an answer the door handle was jimmied a few times until the lock clicked. Alarmed and ready to to bolt for her knives Rainey tensed as the door swung open until Javier slid inside with a bundle of clothes in his arms and shut the door behind him.

“Jesus Javier! You scared me half to death.”

“ _Lo siento_ ,” Javier replied. He locked the door and turned around, eyeing her appreciatively as he set down the clothes. “I thought you might want some clean clothes.”

“ _Gracias_ ,” Rainey responded, suddenly feeling very self-conscious at her vulnerable state. Though the bubbles concealed her body, she still slid herself down into the water to her chin, flushing from her ears to her chest. Javier chuckled and rolled his sleeves to his elbows and moved behind her, grabbing a chair as he went. “What are you doing?”

“Relax,” he crooned. Rainey craned her neck to look at him, but he guided her chin back the other way. There was a clinking noise behind her. “Tip your head back.”

Rainey wanted to protest, but a larger part of her was curious. Taking a deep breath and reminding herself this was Javier she did as he asked. From the corner of her eye she saw him dip a ceramic pitcher into the water and then felt him pour it over her hair, taking care not to get any on her face. He repeated the action a couple times before uncapping a bottle of soap and massaging it in with his fingers. The sensuous rub of his fingertips on her scalp made Rainey feel hot and tense and tingly all over. The scent of lavender filled the air.

“I could have managed on my own,” Rainey muttered, though there wasn’t much protest behind her words. She bit the inside of her lip to keep from moaning.

“I know,” he replied, rinsing the soap from her hair. She felt him bend down and the tickle of breath on the wet skin of her neck. “But where would the fun in that be?”

Rainey gripped the edge of the tub, torn between discomfort and something else. “Pervert.” Javier laughed and draped her clean hair over her shoulder. “Hand me a towel will ya? And turn around.”

“ _Me torturas_.” Rainey could almost hear the pout in his voice.

Javier handed her a clean towel and made a spectacle of turning to face the wall. Rainey admired his taut backside as she stood and wrapped the towel around herself and made her way over to the clothes he had brought. “There should be food upstairs,” Rainey said. “Second door to the right. And I got you a bath too whenever you want it.”

“ _Hace unos minutos_.”

Rainey whipped her head around as she was pulling up on a dark pair of pants. Javier remained facing the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. “Unless you’re gonna teach me some Spanish, would you stop doing that!”

“ _Qué_?” Javier asked, turning around just as Rainey pulled on the fitted long sleeve shirt.

Rainey only glared playfully at his insolent smile and stuffed her soiled clothes in her satchel. The new ones Javier had brought fit surprisingly well for being men’s clothes; much better than what she had before. Coupled with the reverent way he had washed her hair it made her indignation at him trying to get a peek fizzle out.

“It’s all yours, _cabrón_ ,” Rainey said with a wave as she made for the door. Javier’s laughter followed her as she left for their room.

Inside there were two hot plates of meat and potatoes and a pitcher of water. Javier joined her as she was finishing with her own plate. His wet hair lay loose on his neck, and the white undershirt clung to his torso where he was still damp. A spicy clean scent wafted from him, and Rainey had to sip at her cup of water to wet her suddenly dry throat.

“Feel better, _chica_?”

“Yep,” Rainey coughed. Javier raised his eyebrows and sat before his own food, studying her over the curls of steam rising from the potatoes. “How’s your arm?”

“I thought I would ask you to bandage it.” Javier gave a devilish grin as he speared a potato. “I know how you like to get my shirt off.”

Rainey sputtered and turned red. “I ought to let you get an infection.” Javier winked in response.

Rainey busied herself with gathering the last of her gauze and crushing herbs into a medicinal paste. The motions soothed her mounting anxiety as she thought of what sharing something so intimate as a room with Javier meant. It hadn’t seemed like a big deal at first after camping together, but this new territory was charged with mutual attraction and Rainey’s own growing desires. She didn’t know what was expected.

When Javier finished with his dinner Rainey set the paste and gauze on the table and reached forward to brush the buttons of Javier’s shirt. “You gonna take this off or tease me some more?”

“Both,” he confessed, shrugging out of the shirt with a hiss as he scraped the material against his wound.

Rainey stared resolutely at the wound and began applying the herb paste. Despite his words Javier watched her in silence as she tended to him. When she was done he grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it, the scrape of his mustache leaving a tingling in its wake.

As if by magnetic impulse her hand drifted to his chest and slid up to rest at his neck. Javier made no move, but watched with an intensity in his expression that encouraged her to lean forward and capture his lips with her own. A breathless feeling took up residence in her chest as she kissed him, making the room spin. One of his tan hands threaded into her messy half-dried hair as he met the tentative strokes of her tongue. It was slow and sensuous torture that had her taking a shaky breath when Javier pulled away.

“Will you join me in bed?” Javier asked as he stood. He caressed her cheek when she hesitated, all her earlier bravado disappearing behind self-doubt. “To sleep, _cariño_.”

Not trusting herself to speak Rainey nodded and climbed into bed with him feeling like all her nerves were exposed. Even the brush of the blankets as Javier pulled the covers over them both made her shiver. Javier pressed a kiss to her temple and draped his arm around her waist. After a few minutes Rainey relaxed against him and threaded her hand with his, drifting off into the best sleep she had in weeks.


	7. Siete

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feliz Navidad, amigos!

The measured rise and fall of Javier’s chest woke Rainey up. In her sleep she had migrated against him and used his shirtless torso as a pillow with her arm draped low across his hips. Flushing at the position Rainey peeked up to see if he was awake.

Sleep smoothed the harsher lines of his brow and made him look younger － almost vulnerable. Rainey filled with affection, reaching up to brush his hair back from his face. Post-sleep haze lowered her inhibitions, and she allowed her fingertips to graze the scar across his nose and through his eyebrow before trailing down to his torso to a knotted pucker of flesh at his shoulder. Lower on his abdomen near his left side was a dark line that cut across the skin and hooked up at the end.

Javier flinched beneath Rainey’s finger as she traced the line, startling her from her daze. The arm around her back tightened and she looked up to see a lazy smile spread across Javier’s face, though he hadn’t yet opened his eyes. The rise and fall of his chest was the same, and Rainey flushed deeper as she wondered if Javier had been faking sleep the whole time.

Experimentally Rainey lowered her head and pressed a kiss to the scar on Javier’s shoulder, never taking her eyes from his face. A bullet wound, she thought to herself. His eyelids fluttered but remained closed, as if afraid it would ruin the delicate balance of the morning to open them. Undeterred Rainey kissed a path up his throat, reveling in the taste of his skin and the scratch of his stubble against her lips.

When she reached his mouth his eyes were open now and like burning coals watching her with an intensity that made her belly flip. Cupping the back of her head he brought her in for a kiss that seared her down to her toes, and she pressed her thighs together as if she could hold back the want that throbbed at her apex.

Rainey’s hand mapped out the planes of lean muscle on his chest, and Javier groaned into her mouth as it dipped lower to follow the course trail of hair down his stomach. She hesitated to go lower; wanting, but unsure and self-conscious. A strong hand encircled her wrist and brought her hand back up to rest at his shoulder as he diverted his kisses down her neck. Rainey moaned at this new contact and Javier pressed his hips against her, his hardness rubbing into her thigh.

“Let me make you feel good,” Javier said when he felt her tense at the contact. Teeth nipped at the skin below her ear. “ _Quiero hacerte gemir de placer_ _mi reina_.”

“Javier…”

At a loss as he sucked and laved at her pulse point Rainey sighed and squirmed and found herself lost in a sea of sensations. Every touch felt so good, so electric, but that fear of true intimacy lurked at the back of her mind. All she could remember was pain, though she had heard enough women talk about the pleasure of it enough to know it was possible. But what if it wasn’t? What if she was broken?

“Rainey,” Javier said softly, pulling her from her racing thoughts. He stroked her bottom lip with a thumb. “I need to hear you say it...need you to tell me what you want.”

“I－I want…”

“ _Quiero_ ,” he whispered against her neck, squeezing her thigh and making her jump back into his embrace.

Rainey swallowed and slid his hand higher to her belly and up toward her breasts, turning her head to plead with her eyes because she wasn’t sure the words would pass through her lips. Javier waited patiently, though there was a hunger lurking in his gaze that made Rainey shiver in delight, like she were a delicacy he wanted to savor.

“I want you to touch me.”

“ _Quiero que me toques_ ,” he responded, palming her breast over her shirt. Rainey closed her eyes and sighed as he brushed a thumb over a sensitized nipple. “Can you say it for me in _Español_ , hmm?”

“In... _oh_.” Rainey found it hard to concentrate as his hand blazed a lazy trail down her stomach and beneath her shirt to trace patterns on the skin above her waistband.

She opened her eyes to see him propped on his elbow and watching her with rapt attention, playing her with the same finesse he possessed as he plucked at guitar strings. Tipping her head back and kissing his chin she tried to remember the words he translated.

“ _Quiero… que me toques_?”

Javier’s eyes darkened and he swooped down to capture her in another breath-stealing kiss so consuming Rainey didn’t notice his hand had undone the fastenings of her pants until it slipped inside. Embarrassment tinged her face until his fingers slid through the damp folds of her core, and then she was flushing hot for entirely different reasons as he brushed a part of her that lit her whole body with pleasure.

Rainey whined into his mouth and clamped her thighs around his fingers, eliciting a throaty chuckle from Javier. His kisses fell to her throat down to her collarbones as he stroked her. Teeth found one of her hardened nipples through her shirt as he rubbed over _that place_ again, and like a wanton Rainey pushed her chest to his mouth, unable to keep from squirming under his ministrations. Javier hummed his approval against her breast.

“ _Te gusta eso_? Do you like that?”

“ _Sí_ ,” Rainey groaned, digging her fingers in his hair to pull him back down to her. Javier sped up his movements, and Rainey felt herself dissolving, goosebumps breaking out all over her skin as she shuddered against his talented digits. Vaguely aware of a rushing wetness she cried out as she clenched around him, shuddering as he stroked her down from the incredible high that made her legs shake.

Javier gathered her in his arms and pressed kisses along her neck as she came down, murmuring in Spanish. It was surreal for Rainey lying in his arms, drunk on this lazy relaxed feeling as sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains. Stirring to find a more comfortable position Rainey’s leg brushed Javier’s erection and caused him to hiss through clenched teeth.

“Do...you want me to…?” Rainey trailed off, uncertain of how she would even finish that sentence.

“No, _mi reina_ , I will take care of it.”

“You called me that before － _mi reina_. What does that mean?”

Javier pressed a kiss to her temple and made to get out of bed. “My queen.”

Rainey grabbed his forearm before he could stand and bit her bottom lip. “To watch… _en Español_?”

“... _ver_.”

Rainey sat up and coaxed him back down to sit on the bed, running her hands across his shoulders even though they shook with anticipation. “ _Quiero ver_ , Javier.”

Beneath her hands Rainey felt his breath hitch. “Ay, _sí_ , Rainey…”

Javier made quick work of unfastening his own pants and freeing his straining erection. Rainey watched over his shoulder, kissing his neck and memorizing the way he took himself in hand and squeezed before working his hand up and down the shaft as he groaned at the contact. A permanent blush was burning Rainey up, but she couldn’t look away from the erotic sight of Javier touching himself. Her clothes felt restrictive around her, and she was sure he could feel her heart beating where she pressed herself against his back.

She let her hands roam his torso, scraping her blunt nails across his chest and down his abdomen. The muscles in his belly tightened as he brought himself to climax, crying out and cursing as he made a mess all over his hand. Javier leaned back into Rainey as she brushed his sweaty hair back from his forehead.

Rainey grinned against his cheek. “ _Buenos días_.”

 

✭✭✭

 

Riding into camp was bittersweet.

It was good to be back in familiar territory where she could rest her weary body, but the loss of personal time with Javier dawned on her as Arthur strode up to them before their feet hit the ground. Arthur had that grim set to his jaw and purpose to his step that told Rainey there was work to be done.

“What’s going on, _amigo_?” Javier asked Arthur, steadying Rainey as she slid from Boaz.

“We found Sean,” Arthur explained. “He’s bein’ held by bounty hunters outside ‘o Blackwater. Was hopin’ you’d come back before we left. We’ll ride out as soon as you’re ready.” Arthur narrowed his eyes and looked between the two of them. “Where’s your horse Lorraine?”

“Long story. No time for it, sounds like.” Rainey averted her attention to Javier, who smirked at her evasion tactics. “I’ll help you unload so you can ride out.”

Javier cocked an eyebrow and opened his mouth to give what Rainey assumed was one of his pervy retorts. Not at all wanting to be one the receiving end in front of Arthur of all people she clapped her hand on his arm in a friendly gesture as she walked around Boaz, though the ‘friendly gesture’ may have been right over his bullet wound.

“ _Mierda_ ,” Javier hissed under his breath.

Rainey tried not to look too satisfied as she transferred the treasure back into its original canvas bag. Javier sidled up to her when Arthur walked away under the pretense of tightening down the bags she already rifled through. Slipping his arm around her waist he pulled her close to him and kissed her. Caught off guard Rainey relented to his affection for a moment before slapping him half-heartedly on the chest.

“There are people around,” Rainey chided, grunting as she set the full bag on the ground. She looked around, relieved to see no one was paying attention.

“ _Y qué_?” Javier frowned, pulling away. “Are you ashamed?”

“‘Course not, _cabrón_!” Rainey tugged on his arm to bring him close again. “Just...selfish, alright? I’m still trying to figure all this out. Don’t really wanna be camp gossip either.” Javier relaxed and nodded, discreetly kissing her hand before letting go. He mounted Boaz and looked down when Rainey squeezed his leg. “Don’t get shot.”

“It’s not the bullets I’m worried about,” Javier said cryptically as he spurred Boaz toward where Arthur and Charles waited by their horses.

Rainey watched the three men ride away and then lugged the bag over to the backside of Dutch’s tent. Dutch watched her pass as he puffed on a cigar and leaned his arm against the wooden pole of his tent. All he offered was an approving nod as his eyes fell to the bag on her back.

Molly O’Shea was fanning herself at the open flaps at the back entry with a bored expression on her pretty face. She watched curiously as Rainey added her and Javier’s contributions to the box from the bag and signed them in the ledger. “A success then?”

“Yep,” Rainey confirmed. She paused at the last item in her hand － a delicate gold bracelet studded with small round rubies along the chain － and jingled it in thought. With a smile she offered it to Molly and dropped it in her small freckled hand. “In more ways than one.”

Rainey whiled away the rest of the day unpacking and helping Sadie skin some small game Charles had brought in that morning. It was nearing evening when Javier made it back to camp with a skinny bedraggled redhead behind him. Rainey pretended to be much more interested in her game of dominoes with Tilly than she really was, but she noticed other than the pinched look between Javier’s eyes and the non-stop Irish brogue of his young passenger he appeared fine.

“Sean MacGuire! It is good to see you son!” Dutch greeted.

Word spread through camp fast that Sean was back, and Rainey felt out of place as everyone rushed to greet him. The familial atmosphere of the gang entranced her even though she wasn’t quite a part of it. A presence at Rainey’s shoulder drew her attention to Sadie, who stood next to her with her arms crossed.

“It’s somethin’, ain’t it?” she asked. “Never thought a gang would be like this.”

Rainey caught Javier’s eye and smiled to herself. “I never thought a lot of things.”

“Oooh,” Sadie said in her creaking voice, nudging Rainey with her elbow when she caught Rainey’s line of sight. “Someone had a good trip I take it?”

“We got the treasure,” Rainey replied evenly. Sadie tilted her head and gave Rainey an indulgent smile. As Sadie was about to press for more information Charles rode into camp, and Rainey silently thanked the man for his timing as she used the distraction to slip away to where Javier was removing Boaz’s saddle.

“Everything go good I take it?” Rainey asked, helping herself to a soft-bristled brush balanced on top of the hitching post. Boaz whickered as she ran the brush through his overo coat.

“Good enough. There was a shootout, but we all made it out fine. Don’t know how I got stuck taking Sean back. _Cabrón_ never shuts up.”

As if on cue the Irishman sauntered up and clapped a hand on Javier’s shoulder. Javier rolled his eyes and shrugged him off. “And who are you, lass? I’m Sean MacGuire, at your service. I missed a lot it looks like.”

“Rainey Bennett. I’m a friend of Arthur’s.”

“‘Ol English, huh? Didn’t think the sour ‘ol bastard had it in him!”

“Not _that_ kind of friend,” Rainey corrected. Rainey looked to Javier for rescue, but he had picked up Boaz’s tack and was headed for his tent.

“His loss then,” Sean commented offhand, though the goofy grin on his face hinted at humor. “Speak ‘o the devil, here he comes now. Arthur, I am glad to see your ugly mug again!”

“You ain’t shut up since we rescued ya, have you?” Arthur asked, swinging down from his horse. “Done chased Javier off I see.”

“I missed you too,” Sean said, wrapping an around him. “Come on, Dutch said somethin’ about a party, and I’m of a mind to celebrate.”

“Ain’t you always?”


	8. Ocho

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because Daddy!Arthur makes me warm and fuzzy on the inside.

Javier was pulling out his guitar when Rainey dropped his cut of their spoils on his bedroll. “Thought you might want that.” She extended her hand and offered a brown bottle. “And that.”

Javier glanced at the bottle and took it, pulling a hard drink from the neck. Rainey watched his throat bob as he swallowed and wondered what was creating that crease between his eyes. Over her shoulder were hollers of merriment and peals of laughter as the party began in earnest. Rainey glanced back before she stepped up to him, smoothing down his jacket and wrinkling her nose at a few new rust colored splatters splashed across the fabric. Beneath her fingers he was stiff and unyielding.

“I can’t help but feelin’ you’re sore about somethin’.” Rainey frowned and dropped her hand at his silence. “You gonna make me guess or punish me for not knowin’?”

Javier rolled his shoulders and propped his guitar against a chest. “You said you weren’t ashamed of me, but you introduced yourself as _Arthur’s friend_ like I wasn’t standing right there.” Rainey tried to hide her smirk by rubbing her hand over her mouth, but Javier narrowed his eyes. “Are you _laughing_ at me?”

“Not at you, no. And I’m not ashamed of you! Why would I be?”

“Maybe I’m not white enough for you. _No sé_.”

“I don’t care about you bein’ Mexican, _idiota_.” Rainey huffed and took a frustrated sip of her beer. “I just think it’s silly for you to be jealous of Arthur Morgan of all people. The man is like a father to me! And I’d rather be associated to someone as a friend than thought of as someone else’s whore, alright?”

Javier deflated a bit and rubbed the back of his neck. Setting her beer down she slid the hat from his crown and tossed it aside to smooth back the hair from his face. “ _Lo siento_ , Rainey.” He turned his head to plant a kiss on the inside of her wrist. “It’s been a long day.”

“Let’s go party then,” Rainey suggested, pulling on his arm. “Grab your guitar and play me some Spanish songs. I’ll go see if Pearson has a bottle of somethin’ good stashed somewhere instead of this deer piss we’re drinkin’.”

Night cloaked Rainey as she snuck around the back of the tents while Javier set himself up near the campfire. It was well-known that Pearson was somewhat of an alcoholic, and since camp funds had been running low before they left it was likely the only decent bottle of liquor was somewhere near his wagon. With almost everyone gathering around the fires Rainey figured now was the perfect time to pillage.

“And what is a pretty little thing like you doin’ sneakin’ around in the middle of the night?”

Rainey nearly jumped out of her skin and spun around just as she reached Pearson’s wagon. When she saw the quaking shoulders and heard the cackle of the feisty blond peeking from around the back Rainey sagged in relief against the large wheel behind her.

“Shhh!” Rainey glanced back toward the party and then slid around the back of the wagon with Sadie. “Goddamn you, Sadie! You scared the daylights out of me! What are you doin’?”

“Well I was headin’ to our tent, ‘cause Karen nicked a couple bottles of brandy from the back of a supply wagon in town. But then －” Sadie bowed her head toward Rainey as if to tell her a secret. “I saw you exiting Mr. Escuella’s tent and hidin’ in shadows as you crept around the edge of camp. Thought I’d see what that’s about.”

“It was about me trying to find some decent booze, and I figured Pearson had some hidden,” Rainey corrected, crossing her arms. “But what’s all this about brandy?”

“Come on,” Sadie said, slinging an arm around Rainey’s shoulders.

The shorter woman led her to their bedrolls where Karen was lounged with Tilly and Mary-Beth amongst a pile of their combined blankets and pillows. At their approach Karen waved them in to join, brandishing an amber bottle of liquor in triumph. Rainey sat herself upon a crate in favor of not having to pull herself up from the ground later while Sadie joined the girls on the bedrolls.

Karen tossed Sadie the bottle. “Let’s get this party started shall we?”

Brandy left a searing sweetness on her tongue and a burning path all the way down to her belly, but Rainey found it was less awkward listening to bawdy conversation between the women the more she drank. After the second bottle was cracked open Rainey had slid herself to the ground like she were a drop of candle wax that had slowly dripped from the crate and onto the bedrolls.

Karen had been steadily gaining volume as she jumped from one reminiscing story to the next. By then Rainey’s vision was blurring and shifting as she stared up at the sun-bleached and faded canvas roof. Rhythmic chords floated in from the campfire, and if Rainey strained her ears she could just make out Javier’s voice. Spanish words echoed in her head as she thought of them whispered against her ear in morning rays of sunlight.

Suddenly that morning was all she could think about.

Darkness blotted out Rainey’s view and something soft tickled her nose. Rainey batted at it, swiping a braid of hair out of her face. The blot shifted and light from the lantern hanging on the tent illuminated Sadie’s silhouette as she leaned over her.

“You alright? You’re redder than a tomato.”

“M’fine.” Rainey stumbled to her feet, catching her balance on the crate as she swayed.

“I see that.” Sadie offered Rainey an arm for support. “A walk will do you good. Come on.”

The pair walked in silence for a beat, nodding to Charles as they passed him on his self-appointed guard duty. Rainey studied the older woman in the moonlight and wondered what her husband had been like to have such a feisty independent wife. Sadie rarely talked about her late husband, but when she did her voice was always full of such devotion.

“What’s it like?” Rainey asked. “Bein’ with a man, I mean.”

“You ain’t never…?”

“Not… no.” Rainey regretted asking and bit the inside of her mouth, but Sadie squeezed her arm to sooth her anxiety.

“I understand. I can see that haunted look in your eyes.” Sadie smiled sadly, and though the woman never said so Rainey realized she probably lost more than just her husband at the hands of the O’Driscolls. It made the kinship she felt with Sadie grow. “As for your question… I could tell you all manner of things, but what exactly do you wanna know?”

“Is it… enjoyable?”

“With the right man,” Sadie responded. “If you’re thinkin’ about takin’ your pleasure with a certain Mexican outlaw we both know, I don’t think enjoyable will be a problem.”

Rainey’s eyes widened. “You don’t...know from experience, do you?”

“Oh Lord no!” Sadie snickered. “I don’t think I’ll be able to take another man for a long time. But I do hear things.” When Rainey didn’t respond, Sadie bumped her shoulder. “By the way he acts when you're around you got nothin’ to worry about.”

Sadie led Rainey around the perimeter until the younger girl was able to walk well enough on her own. They emerged from the trees near the campfire where Arthur, John, Lenny and Javier were seated around the flames. Javier softly strummed the strings of his guitar as if more from muscle memory than conscious thought. All four men looked up as the two women came gracelessly shuffling through the grass.

Rainey plopped down next to Arthur with an ‘oomph’ when she misjudged the distance of the seat and hugged her ribs with one arm. “Careful there,” Arthur said when Rainey listed to the side. He corrected her balance and wrinkled his nose when he caught a whiff of her breath. “Just how much you drink, girl?”

A giggle escaped her. “Enough.”

From across the crackling fire Javier was smiling faintly, and Rainey couldn’t tear her eyes away from the movements of his fingers on the strings. She thought of them between her legs and felt a throb of need pulse between her thighs. Sadie gave a nonchalant nudge to Rainey’s arm from where she sat on her other side to get her attention. Arthur was frowning at Rainey and looked like he was waiting.

“...what?”

“I said, you gonna tell me what happened to your horse?”

Rainey looked past Arthur and scratched  the back of her head. “O’Driscolls shot her.”

Arthur took a long-suffering pull from his own liquor bottle. “I thought you was gonna stay outta trouble?”

“I was stayin’ outta trouble ‘til I ran into you again,” sniped Rainey. Using Arthur’s shoulder she stood up, swiping his mostly empty bottle from the ground where he placed it and secreting it in her jacket pocket.

“Where you goin’ now?”

“Gettin’ away from all these goddamn questions, Morgan,” Rainey said with a wave of her hand. “I’ll take my chances with the coyotes.”

John’s hoarse laughter followed Rainey as she stumbled back the way she came. Arthur was the last person that should talk about staying out of trouble, Rainey thought glaring into the darkness.

Tall cushy grass licked at her calves as she passed the last tent at the edge of camp. Out here the crickets chirped and drowned out most of the noise － even that godawful warbling coming from Dutch’s gramophone. The cool breeze on her cheeks here eased the worst of Rainey’s annoyance. If she were honest she had left the fireside before Arthur could wheedle too many details from her while she was inebriated.

Arms folded her in an embrace from behind, startling a yelp from her that was stifled by a callused hand over her mouth. Instinct urged her to fight, but the familiar spicy scent surrounding her stilled her panic. “Easy, _chica_ , it’s only me,” Javier said in her ear, dropping his hand to caress her throat. A kiss followed in the crook of her neck. “Just a lonely coyote stalking its prey.”

Rainey closed her eyes and leaned back against him, her hands gripping his strong thighs as she basked in his attention. After a few more teasing kisses and nips he stopped, granting him a frustrated growl from Rainey as she turned in his arms. Even in the dark she could see the heat in his gaze despite the amused tilt to his lips.

“You stopped,” Rainey said with a pout. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his, though her drunken state made the movement less sensuous than she intended and threw off her balance. Javier’s eyes crinkled at the corners as he gripped her waist to steady her.

“Punishment,” he quipped. “You promised me liquor and disappeared. I was ready to serenade you, _mi reina_. You hurt my feelings.”

Rainey gave a throaty giggle and shoved Javier playfully. “Horseshit.”

Weeds at her feet caught on the toe of her boot and planted her firmly on her behind. Rainey didn’t mind since her head was spinning too much to concentrate on standing. From the ground she beckoned Javier with an outstretched arm, ignoring his dramatic sigh as he settled down next to her. In reward Rainey feathered his jaw with kisses as she held up the prize she nicked from Arthur.

“Here’s your liquor,” she said, folding his hand around the cool glass, “and you could always serenade me right now.”

Javier finished the bottle off and tossed it, a lone drip escaping and trailing down his chin. Rainey caught his hand before he could wipe it away pushed herself into his lap, licking the droplet from his chin to his mouth to savor the bite of the alcohol still on his tongue. With her insecurities muted from the drink Rainey let her body run on instinct, pushing him to the ground on his back as she hovered over him.

Javier tried to adjust her position, but Rainey ground down against the hardness beneath her and pulled a delicious sound from him that rumbled in his chest. A powerful surge of pride and hunger filled her as she tried to do it again. He dropped his head to the ground and gripped her hips hard to still her movements.

“ _Para! Por favor_ ,” Javier groaned, managing to slide her down enough to be straddling his legs instead of his crotch. Upon seeing the hurt expression crossing Rainey’s face he cupped the back of her neck and pulled her down to lay against his chest. “You tempt me too much.”

“That was the point,” Rainey grumbled, burying her face in his shirt. He was so warm and inviting, and she felt safe as he rubbed soothing circles on her back while he held her. “Unless… you don’t really want me…”

“You feel my desire,” Javier said, tipping her chin to force her to look at him, “and you will have it. Just not like this.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re drunk,” he said simply.  “When I have you, I want _all_ of you.” Rainey shivered at the promise in his words, her eyes slipping closed to imagine what it would feel like for him to lay claim to her. When Javier spoke again, it sounded far away like whispers on the wind. “You’re too good for anything less.”

 

✭✭✭

 

Murder.

It was the first word that sprang to mind when Miss Grimshaw’s voice screeched at them to wake up. Railroad spikes felt like they were being driven into her skull, and Rainey flung an arm over her face to brace against the obscene brightness of the sun. From beside her Karen moaned obscenities as she sat up, offering Miss Grimshaw’s back a colorful gesture.

Rainey jammed her hat on her head to block out the worst of the rays as she got up, every step pounding in time with her head. Sadie was already at the cookfire with a cup of coffee in hand with a rifle on her back. Unlike Rainey Sadie appeared refreshed and ready to tackle the day.

“Good mornin’ sunshine,” Sadie greeted as Rainey poured herself a cup. Rainey grunted and cringed against the first sip of the bitter hot liquid. “How was your night?”

“Good…?” Rainey responded, rolling her shoulders. “I don’t remember gettin’ to bed.”

“I imagine not,” Sadie said nonchalantly. She wagged her eyebrows over her cup. “Javier said you passed out and carried you to your bedroll.”

“Oh.” Rainey flushed, memories of her wanton behavior coming back to her in sharp clarity. Casually she looked around to see if she could spot him, but it looked like several of the men had already left camp. Rainey assumed he had gone with them.

“Arthur was lookin’ for ya by the way,” Sadie said, gesturing to his tent. Rainey could just make out his tall frame bent down in front of his shaving mirror. “Had a nice little chat with Javier before he left too.”

“Better go see what that was about,” Rainey muttered as she excused herself and trudged over to Arthur’s lodging.

If Arthur spotted her approach he said nothing as she settled herself on the rough canvas of his cot to wait while he finished up. When he turned around he wasn’t surprised to see her, but the downward slope of his mouth suggested she was about to get an earful.

“You _jumped_ off ya goddamn horse, Lorraine?” he asked, wiping the water from his face with a tattered towel. Rainey winced at the loud tone of his voice.

“Javier tell you that?” Arthur crossed his arms after he tossed the towel over the mirror. Rainey rolled her eyes and set her coffee aside. “‘Course he did. Yes, Arthur, I jumped from my horse in the heat of the moment. Turned out fine, too.”

“That time,” Arthur grumbled.”I taught you better’n that. What was you doin’ ridin’ out anyway? You ain’t even healed up yet.”

“I had a treasure map worth checkin’ out,” Rainey said, feeling her ire rise under Arthur’s scrutiny. “Panned out, too, in case you’re interested.”

“What I’m interested in is why you rode out _by yourself_ with Javier.”

Rainey’s eyebrows shot into the air. “What? You don’t trust him?”

Arthur scrubbed a hand over his face and sat down next to Rainey. “Oh I trust him, Lorraine. Just not with you.”

“That’s not for you to decide. I can handle myself.”

Gritting her teeth and getting ready to storm off, Arthur caught her arm and looked at her with a weariness that aged him beyond his years. Lines carved deep into his face and spoke of the trials the years had brought him. Rainey tried hard to hold onto her indignation, but it was hard when she saw the shadows beneath his eyes and the stooped set to his shoulders as if he carried unimaginable weight upon them.

“I know you can,” he agreed. “It’s just… I know Javier, Rainey. Known him a while. Ain’t no woman he ever been with stuck around for long, and he moves on to the next just as quick. You deserve better than some outlaw lookin’ for a good time.”

“You’re the one that brought me here,” Rainey said, extracting her arm and balling her fists at her sides. “And what I do with my time ain’t no business of yours, Morgan. I ain’t your responsibility.”

“Now goddamn it, Rainey, I’m only tryin’ to look out for ya! Truth be told I didn’t think you’d stick around long.”

Rainey took a calming breath. “I don’t know what I intend to do just yet. As for the other thing －” Rainey took her hat off and ran a hand through her hair. “I appreciate it, I do, but I ain’t that little girl you knew anymore. I’ve survived this long without lettin’ men take advantage of me again, and I ain’t gonna start now.”

Arthur grunted and placed a cigarette between his lips. “Good.” He struck a match and inhaled deeply, staring unseeing into the distance. “I care about you, you little shit. Just don’t wanna see you hurt is all.”

Rainey smiled at the way his heartfelt words had him shifting around in discomfort. Just like old times.  “I’ll be just fine.”

“Sure do hope so,” Arthur said, flicking away his ashes. His blue eyes were dead serious when they looked at her. “‘Cause I will put a bullet in him if he does you wrong.”


	9. Nueve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOO BOY. This has been my favorite chapter to write by far. 
> 
> I would like to take a second to thank anyone reading for their continued support. It makes me happy to know even one person has given this story a chance, let alone all the positive feedback I've been honored with. You all are the best.

When she couldn’t make sense of the world, Rainey retreated.

It’s what she always did in situations outside her comfort zone, and it was no surprise she found herself crouched down amongst the underbrush for hours staking out game trails and setting twitch snares in their path. It was one of the simplest forms of survival and involved enough in the delicacy of the work to serve as an adequate distraction. Unlike the knotted feelings in her belly it made perfect sense.

Ever since her discussion with Arthur, Rainey couldn’t shake the doubts about Javier that crowded her thoughts. There were few people Rainey had ever trusted, but Arthur Morgan was one of them. As much as she resented his penchant for making her business _his_ business, she knew the man usually kept his peace unless he felt obliged to share.

It pained Rainey to think Javier could be playing her for a fool. Since the beginning he treated her with kindness and respect, and it was hard to swallow the idea that it could be a con for the sake of another conquest. With her lack of knowledge on the subject of men and pleasure, there was no way Rainey could be sure without learning the hard way. It terrified her to do so, especially after her drunken antics had driven her beyond her inhibitions and she realized just how bad she wanted him.

Wanted to trust the promises of an outlaw.

It was much easier to avoid temptation in the woods.

Rainey stood and stretched the aching muscles in her back, noting the sun’s descent into the horizon. Pinks and oranges bled through the trees, and soon it would be too dark to see. She turned to retrieve her satchel from the ground and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Javier leaning against a tree watching her a few feet away, ankles crossed and shotgun slung over his shoulder. An unlit cigarette dangled from his lips. Instinctively a knife was already in her hand, but she relaxed her grip as her nerves settled from the scare.

“Christ Javier!” Rainey said, shouldering the leather strap of her bag. “What are you doin’?”

“Guard duty.” Light flared from the end of a match Javier flicked to life with his thumbnail, illuminating his unreadable expression as he lit the cigarette with dispassionate practice.

“Over here? The path is that way.” The words came out sharp and Rainey cringed at herself. Stashing her knife in a holster at her hip Rainey gravitated toward him but stopped at arms length. His presence left her feeling off-kilter － the exact vertiginous disorientation she had been trying to avoid, like the ground was slipping from beneath her feet.

A twitch of his eyebrows was his only reaction. “You’ve been busy,” he said after a sharp inhale of smoke, gesturing to the primed trap behind her, eyeing the rope all the way up to where it was attached to a sapling. It was pulled taut by the wooden trigger that interlocked with a stake of wood in the ground, the noose lying in wait in the leaves.

“Yeah,” Rainey exhaled, shoving her hands into her pockets. “Gettin’ the rope into the tree was a right bitch, too. Careful out here, I got two more set up ahead and few more on the other side of the trail.”

Javier’s eyes glittered from the glow of his cigarette, burning orange pinpricks inside molten chocolate. “I look forward to when you run out of trees.” Rainey opened her mouth to respond, but no words came. “I know you’re avoiding me.”

“I’m not..,” even she could hear the lie in her voice, “...on purpose. Mostly.” Rainey tried to swallow past a dry catch in her throat. “Grimshaw gets on my last damn nerve, and I needed time on my own. And I ain’t for washin’ and mendin’ all day when I could be more useful.”

“Ah, _veo_.”

Javier dropped the cigarette to the ground as he nodded and crushed it beneath his boot. A plume of smoke shrouding them as he exhaled the last hit through his nose, he closed the gap between them with the grace of a mountain cat. Rainey fisted the insides of her pockets.

“Tell me,” Javier began, tilting his head to find her gaze under the brim of her hat. “Tell me to go, _voy._ Don’t hide yourself from me. Tell me you don’t want this. _Ordéneme mi reina_.”

A thousand objections sat at the tip of her tongue. Rainey took a step back to breathe － to find some sort of balance in the cacophony of her emotions. Those honeyed words were silky and tempting, but words were wind and Javier was as smooth as they came. Arthur’s warning, Uncle’s teasing and even some of Sadie’s own observations made her hesitate.

“I do,” Rainey finally sighed, pulling at the end of her loosening braid, “but I don’t wanna be some… some common whore to get tossed aside when you’re bored.”

Javier recoiled as if slapped, the muscle at the corner of his jaw tightening beneath the skin. “No, of course not,” he said with venom, gripping the stock of the shotgun, “and it’s all I’m good for.”

Insects chittered in the stony silence as Rainey’s stomach plummeted to her toes. Javier turned away, running his hand through his hair. His muscles were poised for movement but suspended in animation as if torn between continuing the conversation or walking away.

Grasping to fill that yawning, unbearable silence Rainey blurted the only words that came to mind. “Aren’t you supposed to be on guard duty?”

Javier rolled his shoulders and turned his head toward her, but his stormy gaze remained rooted on the ground. “Bill relieved me an hour ago.”

Underbrush snapped beneath his boots like the sound of shattering glass as he walked back toward camp with long strides, leaving Rainey standing alone in the dark.

Alone, just like she wanted.

Stinging in her eyes brought her back to herself. She sniffed furiously at her own idiocy and inhaled deep － deep until her lungs were so full it burned, head swimming and heartbeat pounding in her temples before she exhaled. Emptiness filled the void in her chest.

You’re a prize idiot Rainey, she thought to herself.

 

✭✭✭

 

Life as an outlaw was as fickle as a tide; calm and peaceful while it laid low, but dangerous and fast when it came in high to wash everything away.

The man tied to the tree had been interrogated by Bill, Dutch and Arthur, his screams echoing in the morning air as his pants were yanked down and hot bolt cutters were aimed at his nether regions. Rainey had turned away from the scene to spare the man what humiliation she could. After several pleas and assurances the man had been cut down and then Arthur, Bill, and John were riding out with him to ambush some O’Driscolls.

By late afternoon they were back, sweat-stained and smelling of gunpowder and smoke. Rainey had taken up residence on Arthur’s cot while he was away, sitting cross-legged with one of his worn shirts in her lap as she patched a hole in the sleeve. Mostly it was because Javier was on the other side of camp and she still hadn’t had the nerve to talk to him again. A small part of her, however, delighted in the scandalized look on Grimshaw’s face when she had settled herself there.

Arthur sat down next to her and lit a cigarette. “You made yourself comfortable.”

“Mhm.” Rainey bit off the thread from knot she made in the sleeve and smoothed it out to examine her work. “Not too comfortable, don’t worry. Jabbed myself plenty of times with this needle.”

“Any particular reason you’re invadin’ my space and touchin’ my things?”

Rainey scowled and folded the gray material, tossing it on top of his wardrobe trunk. “Sure. I was hopin’ you’d come back and be a horse’s ass to me for doin’ you a favor. You do not disappoint, Morgan.”

Arthur rubbed his temples. “I ain’t in no mood for your sass, girl.”

Sliding her legs off the edge of the cot she mimicked his position and rested her elbows on her knees next to him. “What’s eatin’ you, Arthur? Your raid went okay I take it since you all came back in one piece.”

“Well enough I guess. Colm wasn’t there like that Kieran feller swore he would be, but we took care of a few others. Woulda been dead in the end if Kieran hadn’t saved my life.”

Rainey hummed and plucked a blade of grass, twirling it in her fingers. “An O’Driscoll saving your life is what accounts for that sour look on your face?”

“He ain’t － he swears he ain’t an O’Driscoll, that he just tended to the horses. I dunno what to think. Thinkin’ ain’t my strong suit. But…” Arthur paused, as if chewing on his words to see if they were palatable, and he frowned at the taste. “...that ain’t what bothers me. The whole job was a petty strike at the O’Driscolls. I ain’t got no love for them anymore’n than the rest of us, but we need to be layin’ low right now.”

Rainey hummed and wondered exactly why they needed to lay low, but she didn’t pry. Whatever it was must have been bad enough, because Arthur’s unflinching loyalty to Dutch’s every whim had always been a source of contention in the past. It was unusual for him to express doubt in his leader, and Rainey wanted to offer reassurance to her old friend.

Except she couldn’t, because deep down she knew what Dutch was about. It was in the way he played others around him like pieces on a chessboard where he proclaimed himself king, or the way he used flowered words and inspirational speeches to encourage his own ends. Dutch was about _Dutch_ , and it had always been that way.

“Arthur?” Arthur grunted as he was digging around beneath his feet until he pulled out a dark bottle. “What you said the other day, about me not stickin’ around? Did you say it because you think I’ll leave or because you think I _should_ leave?”

Arthur sat back and gave the bottle a shake and received an answering slosh. He took his time uncorking it, taking two large swills and then wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “I thought you err…” Arthur held up the bottle, thought about it and squinted as he took another drink, “...had some kind of...arrangement… with Javier.”

Rainey was sure she turned crimson, and she dipped her head to cast a shadow over her face with the brim of her hat. “That’s… unrelated. And _arrangement_ , Arthur, are you serious?” Rainey snatched his bottle, ignoring the glare from Arthur as she finished off what was left. “There’s no arrangement! It’s not… ugh.” Rainey stood up and set the empty bottle on a crate with a thud.

“I can’t talk about somethin’ like this with you. It’s like tryin’ to gossip with my pa.”

Arthur tucked his tongue in his cheek and nodded, looking relieved for an out, but then a wry smirk spread on his face and made his blue eyes glitter for the first time since he came back.

“You know, Lorraine… Javier and I are about the same age. Just you remember that the next time you’re callin’ me old.”

Rainey raised her eyebrows at the information but then hung her head and kicked the toe of her buckskin boot into the dirt with a sad smile. “Don’t matter anyway.”

Arthur sat up straight. “Did he hurt you?”

“No.” She sighed. “I put my foot in my mouth, prolly more than once. These things… they ain’t easy for me.”

“I understand," he said, relaxing. "We always was too much alike.” Arthur stood up and clapped her on the shoulder like a father would a son. Rainey smiled and gave his arm a squeeze before she turned to walk away. He called her name before she did, giving her pause before she stepped out into the sunlight.

“Whatever happens, I think it’s as safe a place as any if you decide to stay, but it ain’t gonna stay that way forever. And if you do leave, there ain’t no comin’ back － not for you. There have been exceptions－” Arthur said this with a bitter intonation. “But you refused Dutch before.”

Hoofbeats on the trail interrupted their conversation, and a man Rainey had never seen before rode in. There was a cocky swagger in the way he held himself upon his black horse, like he were constantly pleased with himself. Beneath his stringy blonde hair and shrewd eyes was a conniving aura not unlike what Rainey sensed around Dutch. She misliked the man immediately.

By the way Arthur’s lip curled into a snarl he felt similar.

“Who’s that?”

“Micah Bell.” Arthur spat to the side.

“Charming,” she said dryly as she watched the man jump from his horse and begin to harass Kieran where he was brushing down horses near the hitching post. Micah taunted the man with cutting words and intimidation even after Kieran flinched away from him. “Seems like a good time to check my traps. I’ll save that introduction for another time.”

“If we could all be so lucky.”

Rainey laughed and skirted around the backside of Arthur’s tent to remain scarce as she took the scenic route around to the woods. Halfway in her circuit Rainey realized it would take her around the backside of Javier’s tent, but it was too late now and she really did not want to deal with this Micah fellow. Men like him always held certain _opinions_ about how a woman like her ought to behave.

Because fate was cruel Javier sat at the little table in the back polishing his guns with such an uninviting look of concentration he almost appeared angry. Maybe he was. His expression certainly didn’t change when he spotted Rainey walking by. Part of her wanted to stop, to say anything to undo her blunder, but she took the coward’s way and kept her head down.

Hiding from most of the camp was an easy task. Rainey had few talents, but being evasive was one of them. The only person better at it than her, Rainey discovered, was Charles. The man kept himself on the move, always in and out like a ghost existing on the edges of the living. He would provide the bulk of the fresh meat for camp, or do a job when called upon, but on the in between he spent most of his time alone.

It surprised her to see him examining her closest trap to camp where a squirrel had gotten itself snarled in the noose and hung from a sapling at the end of the line. The twitch up snare had given the squirrel a quick, clean death and left it protected from lurking predators where it dangled in the air.

“This yours?” Charles asked.

“Yep.” Rainey cut the squirrel loose and stuffed it in her bag.

“Handy trick. Never done much trapping myself. I prefer to hunt.”

“Huntin’s alright, but Arthur or Javier could tell you I ain’t a great shot. A lot easier for me to trap somethin’ small than deal with a whole boar or deer anyway. Cleaner this way too.”

Rainey dug in her bag for more string and made a new noose to tie to the trigger. Charles watched in silence as he soaked up the knowledge, and she found herself pointing out the notches on the trigger and the stake and explaining the basic mechanics. For a big man his presence had a calming effect that made her feel a little less melancholy.

Charles helped Rainey check all the traps, though only one other had been sprung by another unsuspecting squirrel. She let Charles try his hand at resetting it, and it was unsurprising to her that he did so with ease. Like Arthur the man was more than capable.

They talked little, but the silence was companionable enough as they walked back to camp. Javier was finishing up a bowl of stew by the campfire and saw their emergence from the thicket. Charles held back the worst of the shrubbery for her to cut through, Rainey thanking him when she caught the fierce look Javier shot in her direction. It both chilled her hot and cold, though it wasn’t fear writhing in her abdomen. Javier tossed away the mostly empty tin bowl to the ground and stalked off toward his tent.

After a couple parting words to Charles Rainey cleaned her catch at Pearson’s butcher block and kept herself busy with menial tasks until she tucked herself into her bedroll. Some of the girls tried to engage her in conversation, but she blew them off by saying she was beat － even Sadie. The lie caught up with her as she tossed and turned well into the night until soft snores and the crackling of fire were the dominant sounds.

Rainey hadn’t slept very well since being back. Not since the night she drank herself into a stupor and fell asleep on Javier’s chest. The thought of his embrace made her want to groan pathetically in her lumpy pillow. Rainey rolled over instead and folded her pillow in half under her head for more padding. When she settled with a heavy sigh she saw Sadie glaring at her from where she laid beside her.

“So help me God I will put my pillow over your face,” Sadie whispered, but there was no heat in her threat.

“Sorry,” Rainey muttered. “I can’t sleep.”

Sadie propped her head up and flicked her gaze around at the other sleeping women before settling on Rainey again. “You ever just think maybe you should talk to him and get it over with?” Rainey tried to feign a clueless expression, but Sadie’s unimpressed expression told her she didn’t buy it for a second. “You two have been skirtin’ around each other for days. I ain’t blind.”

“Of course,” she said. “I can’t find the right time, and he ain’t looked in the mood for any more words from me.”  Rainey snorted. “It was words got me into trouble in the first place.”

“You do have a way about ya,” Sadie teased. Then her expression sobered, and she inclined her head with an encouraging grin. “As for the right time － you ain’t busy now except for keepin’ me awake are ya?”

Excuses bubbled at the surface, but Sadie rolled over and left Rainey to marinate on her words. The idea of going to him _in the middle of the night_ made her feel hot all over and truthfully a little queasy, but Sadie was right. Lifting her blanket from her Rainey got up crept across camp to the grouping of open tents by the light of the moon, her breath pluming in short  bursts from her mouth.

As she got closer she began to second guess herself, but she had come this far and could see the shape of him beneath his fur blanket. The fire was burning low to the coals, and holding her breath Rainey thanked her lucky stars Javier’s tent was on the end as she slipped inside.

He was alert immediately, his arm sliding beneath his pillow presumably for a hidden weapon the first moment her shadow passed the threshold, but he stilled his motions when Rainey had the audacity to slide beneath his covers so she could lie facing him. The rise and fall of his chest slowed to a near stop, and he said nothing as he stared her down impassively.

“Javier,” she said quietly, searching for eloquence she didn’t possess. “I’m not really sure what to say.” A heavy exhale from him had Rainey worried he was about to kick her out. “Look… I know what I said before wasn’t a fair judgment. It was my fear talking.” Rainey swallowed. “ _Lo siento_.”

He was quiet so long she thought he wouldn’t respond. “Fear?” Javier snaked an arm around her waist and jerked her flush against him, his heat smothering and freeing her at the same time. “You told me once you weren’t frightened of me.”

Rainey leaned into the brush of his knuckles on her cheek. “I’m not afraid of you. I’m afraid of－”

Caring too much.

Falling in love.

A broken heart.

“－this. Whatever this is.”

Javier traced her bottom lip with a thumb, mapping her face with half-lidded eyes. Rainey’s heart fluttered in her chest while she awaited judgment, feeling the steady thump of his own heart beneath the soft cotton of his shirt. A hand crept into her hair at the base of her skull and for one fleeting moment she thought he would kiss her until the fingers tightened around a handful of braid and pulled it taut. Not enough to hurt, but enough pressure to show he wasn’t kidding.

“I saw you with Charles today, _chica_ ,” he all but growled. “I don’t play those games.”

“Games?” Rainey asked, bewildered. The feral gleam in his eye softened the longer he studied her face, though the heat remained. His fingers eased its hold and massaged a silent apology into her scalp. “I showed him how to set up a twitch snare. He found one of my traps in the woods.”

A beat passed, then two, and then comprehension finally dawned on her. Rainey slid a hand beneath his shirt to rub up his bare back, noting the raised scar tissue of criss-crossing lines carved into his skin. “You thought I was trying to make you jealous?” Rainey smiled a bit, tilting her face up subconsciously to bring her lips closer to his.

“ _Sí_.” Javier did not sound apologetic, but Rainey could appreciate his honesty. “I wanted to march across camp and claim you in front of everyone so they would know who you belong to.”

Rainey almost groaned, but his words sank in and a wave of fury propelled her to shove him down into his bedroll to pin him by his shoulders so hard his head slammed into the pillow. Though Javier and Rainey stood eye to eye his hard lean power could outmatch hers any day, but he allowed the aggression even as her fingernails bit into his flesh.

“I belong to myself,” Rainey hissed.

Javier chuckled darkly, grabbing her hips and grinding her down into his pelvis to the hard erection straining against the fabric of his long johns. Rainey whined in the back of her throat at the pleasure the contact brought her, but she held her position and didn’t blink. “ _Una reina es leal a sus súbditos_.” He thrust up into her again to give her more of that delicious friction she craved as he folded his arms behind his head.

“I’m not－” Her breath hitched as she countered his thrust with her own, her desire making her too delirious to ignore, “－an object.”

“No,” Javier agreed, striking so fast and laying Rainey flat on her back she could barely process the change in position. He was magnificent above her, alluring and dark, his biceps flexing as he held himself over her with a hand on either side of her head. He dropped his head to taste the skin at the hollow of her neck, dipping his tongue into the recess and sliding his lips along her collar. “But you are mine.”

Teeth sunk into the joint of her shoulder and neck almost to the point of hurting, but it was a good pain, the _best_ pain, and she bucked her hips upward to feel more of him, almost begging with her body. Javier tilted his hips away and denied her, capturing her chin roughly in his hand. Rainey’s green eyes were wild and her pupils were blown as she panted beneath him.

“Tell me,” he demanded, grinding into her slow. Much too slow. Rainey’s eyes slipped closed, her fingers bunching in the material of his shirt. Open-mouth kisses fell hot and wet against whatever available skin on her chest he could reach, until Rainey couldn’t take it anymore and unbuttoned her shirt halfway with trembling fingers. “ _Dime_ , Rainey.” She whimpered when his mouth closer over one of her hardened nipples, sucking before letting it slide from his lips with a wet pop.

“ _Dime que eres mío_.” The words were like a prayer against her skin.

“ _Sí_!” Rainey almost shouted, muting her voice at the very end so it was almost a squeak. Javier rewarded her with a thigh between her leg that kneaded hard into her core until she was a writhing mess beneath him. “ _Sí. Quiero que me toques por favor,_ Javier. _Por favor._ ”

Javier cursed beneath his breath and clawed at the clasp of her pants, his mouth crashing into hers to swallow her cries as his fingers found their mark and worked her with relentless fervor. Rainey was so close to falling apart already, and when her release came she nearly screamed into his mouth as she lay shuddered around his fingers.

“ _Nunca en mi vida he visto algo tan hermosa_.”

In her post-orgasmic bliss she felt so relaxed it was like living a dream. Javier settled himself next to her rambling in Spanish she could never hope to understand, stroking her gently back down to earth. It stoked the fire beneath her already sweat slicked skin, and she pressed her palm flat to his erection which was so hard against his undergarments she could feel the bold outline of it throbbing beneath her touch.

“Let me, please,” Rainey begged, but she was past the point of caring how pathetic she sounded. The sheer look of ecstasy on his face when she gripped him over the dampened fabric made her feel powerful － like a _woman_ － for the first time in her life.

“ _Yes_ ,” he hissed, shoving his long johns down just enough so his cock could escape. With only slight trepidation she wrapped her small hand around his shaft like she had seen him do, squeezing experimentally to gauge his reaction. Javier bit into the palm of his hand to keep quiet, thrusting into her tentative grip and dropping his head into the crook of her neck.

Hot breaths panted in her ear as she explored him, using the slickness at his tip to ease the glide of her motions. A shaking hand wrapped over hers and tightened her grip after a while when his assisting thrusts started to lose all semblance of rhythm, showing her the pace that he desperately needed. When she pumped him to his satisfaction he gave her full control so he could throw his head back and give himself over to her until he was spurting hot and thick over them both..

“Fuck,” breathed Javier, gulping air like it was his first taste of it.

Rainey gave a hoarse chuckle as she wrinkled her nose at the mess on her hand. Javier blindly groped around above him until he found a suitable cloth to clean them up with, which he did with such care it belied the dominance and jealousy he displayed moments before.

Kissing her lips tenderly he buttoned her shirt back up and rested his forehead against hers. Rainey closed her eyes and wrapped herself around him, letting the beautiful stillness of this moment ingrain itself forever into her memory.

“ _Si cierro los ojos y vuelvo a abrirlos, vas a estar todavía?_ ”

Rainey forced her eyes open, brows drawing together as she failed to piece together his question. The earnest, open emotion in his eyes made her want to melt, and she said the only word that felt right.

“Yes.”


	10. Diez

Fur tickling her face and the early chirrups of birds coaxed Rainey to consciousness. Burrowing deep into the covers she curled against the morning chill and breathed in, sweat and earth and spice mixing in an intoxicating aroma around her.

Rainey’s eyes snapped open, and she rolled to her back rub the sleep from them and stare at the reddish-brown canvas that was not what she was used to seeing. The soft scrape of a blade skimming over stubble and the quiet  _tap tap_ as it was knocked clean drew her attention. Javier was shaving, knelt in front of a mirror and already smartly dressed in black pants and a crimson vest over a white shirt rolled to the elbow.

Rainey smiled and pushed herself up as quiet as she could, shifting the blanket to the side so she had an unobstructed path to move behind him. Slipping an arm around him Rainey covered his hand with her own where he gripped the straight razor and tugged it from his fingers. Javier let it slide from his grip without resistance. Rainey felt him watching her like a hawk in the mirror, but she focused on continuing the task, gliding over the unshaved parts of his face.

“Do you always get up so early?”

“Most days,” he responded.

Rainey leaned around him to grasp his shaving brush, working the dampened bristles into the tin of soap next to the mirror and applying it to the underside of his jaw. That intoxicating spicy smell she associated with Javier filled the air, and Rainey registered vaguely that it was the scent of his shave bar.

Lying her hand on his forehead Rainey abruptly forced it back to expose his throat, enjoying the bob of his Adam’s apple. It surprised her that Javier was again willing to be submissive to her attention, but he remained perfectly still beneath her touch. With gentle ease she took care of the last of his unwanted facial hair and admired her handiwork in the mirror.

“All done,” Rainey said, but she kept his head braced with her hand and ran the rounded backside of the razor down his neck. “You know, I been meanin’ to say I don’t appreciate you tellin’ Arthur on me.” She rotated the blade around and held the sharp steel edge firm into his flesh.

Muscles tensed beneath her where she was draped over his back. With a kiss below his ear she let her hand fall from where it braced his head in place. Javier reached up and grabbed her arm tight, plucking the razor from her fingers and tossing it on the barrell he used as a table with a clatter.

“Because you like to tread on dangerous ground,  _chica_.” He let her go to blot his face clean and reach for the red tie that he wound about his neck, tucking the ends into his vest and fluffing it  _just so_.

It amused Rainey to no end how much he preened. It also made her self-conscious about her own disheveled state. After standing to straighten her own clothes Rainey unbraided the mess that was her hair and combed the worst of the knots out with her fingers. “You, me － all of us here,  _muchacho_.”

Javier glowered at her as he stood, securing his own ponytail before placing his hat atop his head. “You tempt it, and trouble follows you.”

“Hmm.” Rainey smirked and fingered the worn collar of his vest. “I think I followed trouble this time around.”

“This must be the new mouth to feed.”

Javier and Rainey both turned to see Micah had emerged from his own tent with his shirt still unbuttoned and hair a ratted mess. Eyes like blue chips of dirty ice scrutinized them, and Rainey could almost see the contemptuous words form before he spoke.

“Makin’ yourself useful already too, ha ha! Maybe I’ll take a turn next.”

Javier tensed beneath Rainey’s palm, but her own temper beat him to the punch. “Maybe you’ll lose a hand if touch me. That’s if I’m feeling generous.”

Micah laughed at her － a grating, chortling noise that snorted through his nose. Javier narrowed his eyes and rested his hand at his hip over the handle his knife. His stance was still but volatile, muscles bunched and ready to strike.

“Arthur should have left you to swing,  _amigo_.”

“Now, now,” Micah said, holding up his hands and shaking his head as his laughter tapered off. “No need to get all bent out of shape over your whore. She’ll get hungry for a real man soon enough.”

Javier stared the blonde down as he ambled off laughing to himself. Rainey nudged Javier to draw him from his livid trance, cupping the side of his neck to pull him down for a kiss. Javier responded hotly, kissing Rainey hard and deep, staking his claim. The display of machismo was not lost on Rainey, and she gripped his ponytail and pulled it back until he broke the kiss with a curse.

“You ain’t got nothin’ to prove to me,” Rainey assured him. She placed a sweet kiss on his lips, then pinched him hard on his side.  “And I meant what I said last night too so you don’t gotta piss all over me,  _comprende_?”

Javier grabbed his offended side with an exclamation as if Rainey mortally wounded him. Rainey rolled her eyes but soothed the damage with one last kiss before she slipped off to ready for the day.

“There you are,” Sadie greeted Rainey from where she perched on top of crate as the younger girl bent to retrieve her boots and jacket. Sadie worked a rag over a rifle in her lap, the heavy tang of gun oil in the air.

“Mornin’.”

Sadie’s curious stare burned into Rainey as she donned her outerwear and gunbelt. Rainey tried to keep her face neutral, but she couldn’t help the smug pull of her lips when she finally made eye contact with her.

“Just tell me I was right and I won’t mention it again,” Sadie bargained.

“You were right.”

“‘Course I was.” Sadie hopped off the crate and laughed at Rainey as she struggled to braid her own hair. “You are terrible at that. C’mere.” Sadie turned Rainey around and worked her hair into place. “Was meanin’ to ask if you wanted to do some huntin’ today.”

“Sure,” Rainey agreed. “I’m better at trappin’ though. Was talkin’ to Charles yesterday about it after he ran across some of my setup in the woods. Truth is I’m a pitiful shot, but I can track.”

“That must break poor Arthur’s heart.”

Rainey laughed as she recalled Arthur’s deep impatience at trying to teach a thirteen year old girl how to shoot and the day he finally declared her hopeless with a firearm. “You have no idea.”

During a quick breakfast and cup of coffee the two women debated about the best spot to hunt. Neither of them had horses of their own, but there was an extra packhorse they could use for carrying bigger game. It limited their range having to go on foot and lead a horse, but it was better than trying to pack fresh game back to camp bleeding in their bags.

“If you want to hunt I can take you to a good spot a short ride from here,” offered Charles, who had walked up to fill his own mug when he overheard their conversation. “Taima can carry two.”

“Kind of ya, Mr. Smith,” Sadie said. “What do you think Rainey? Maybe Charles here can teach you how to shoot!”

“I doubt all that,” Rainey said. “But I am for gettin’ away from camp. I had the pleasure of meetin’ Micah first thing today.”

“Come on then,” Charles said in commiseration, abandoning his cup and waving the ladies to follow him.

A true gentleman, Charles offered up Taima to Sadie and Rainey, opting to ride the old packhorse since it was such a short distance. Charles directed them to a sprawl of rolling hills scattered with trees － the perfect hunting ground for whitetails. They tied the horses off to graze while they scouted the ground for fresh trails, and between Charles and Rainey it wasn’t long before they were all crouched down behind a snarl of bushes studying a small heard.

Sadie pulled her rifle from her back and held it out to Rainey. “I gotta see for myself.”

Charles said nothing, but Rainey swore he was biting the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. “Goddamn Arthur,” Rainey grumbled under her breath as she took the rifle and shouldered it.

The gun felt heavy and awkward in her hands. It had always been this way for Rainey, even back when her Pa had stood behind her and guided her hands on his pistol for the first time when she was eight. There was something so impersonal and brutish about a gun Rainey never liked. Pistols were the only gun Rainey used, and she couldn’t remember the last time she ever held a rifle.

Behind her Rainey could feel Charles and Sadie critiquing her every move, but she refused to let it unnerve her. Focusing down the sight she locked on a burly eight-point buck. He wasn’t the prime choice, but he stood apart from the herd by a couple yards and was turned with his chest facing her. A head shot was out of the question; by the way her palms were sweating Rainey thought it would be lucky if she landed a shot at all.

Before she could overthink it Rainey took a deep breath as soon as she saw the flash of white of the buck’s throat and fired, flinching at the resounding crack of the round. The kickback reeled the stock into her shoulder, and Rainey felt the bruise forming as she watched bark chips flying from a tree behind her mark. The herd scattered.

“You flinched as you squeezed the trigger,” Charles pointed out helpfully.

“Did you even  _aim_?” Sadie asked in disbelief.

Rainey’s mouth twisted in a scowl as she shoved the rifle back into Sadie’s hands. “Take your damn gun.”

“Now don’t be like that,” Sadie said with a nudge. “I thought maybe Ja－ _ah_ -Arthur might have been exaggeratin’.”

Rainey narrowed her eyes. “You don’t say.” She stood and gestured to the bow on Charles’s back. “I never much liked guns, but I always wanted to use a bow.”

Charles pulled the bow from his back and offered it to Rainey, who took it with interest. “Let’s see what you’ve got.” He passed her an arrow. “Nock it here and pull the string back. Aim, release. How about that old hornet’s nest up there?”

Rainey followed the instructions; at least she tried to. Nocking the arrow was easy, but when she tried to pull back on the string she couldn’t get it to budge. It felt as if there was barely any give beneath her fingers, but a snicker from Sadie stopped Rainey from struggling further.

“What?” Rainey snapped.

Charles glanced at Sadie and had the decency to look guilty, though his lips quirked at the corners. “That bow is made for someone my size. I just wanted to see if you could pull the string.”

Sadie’s snickers turned to a full-blown laugh, and Rainey’s cheeks began to redden. She expected something like this from her, but Charles? It made her wonder just what kind of reputation she had around camp. Rainey planned to have a little chat with Arthur… and Javier for that matter.

“You two are the worst.”

Rainey shoved Charles’s bow into his broad chest as she walked by, deciding she needed a break. Sadie tried to coerce her back, but Rainey waved her off with a hand and told them she’d catch up with them. It was her intention to crest one of the hills she where she had spied some wild carrots, but as she passed a large boulder a firm hand wrapped around her mouth and the front her body was squished up against the rock’s flat face, her assailant’s body solid against her back.

Rainey tried to struggle, but a familiar voice spoke in her ear. “Are you lost,  _niñita_?”

The hold on her relaxed and Rainey spun in Javier’s arms. “What are you doin’ out here?”

The look on Javier’s face was unreadable, stoic even, and Rainey frowned. “I was riding back from Valentine and saw Taima hitched at the bottom of the hill and figured Charles was close by. Imagine my surprise when I found  _mi reina_ instead.  _Dime_ , where is he? Hm?”

Javier’s hand shot up and gripped her throat, and Rainey froze in shock. Indignation began to well inside of her, and though she knew she should be scared of the killer in front of her all she could feel was fury pumping through her blood. She twitched her hand and palmed her knife as she brought her arm up in a quick arch and landed a shallow cut on his arm. Javier cursed and let go, a stormcloud of emotions raging on his features.

“First of all,” Rainey spat, advancing on him with her knife held aloft, “me, Charles and  _Sadie_ are out here huntin’.” Javier frowned and looked away, brows drawn together. Rainey pressed the flat of the blade against his face to turn him to look at her, skimming the point of the knife down to his throat and leaving a burning red abrasion in its wake.

“And second, if you  _ever_ touch me like that again out of anger－” Rainey’s voice dropped to a deadly whisper. “I will fuckin’ kill you.”

She lowered her blade and slid it back up her sleeve, walking away and turning her back to him as she crossed her arms. When he touched her Rainey shrugged him off and whirled back around. Javier’s anger had morphed into repentance, but her own anger was not about to be quelled by an apology.

“Rainey…”

“After the time we spent together you should know I am not made for those kinds of deceptions.”

“ _Sí_ , I know, but...” Javier let out a frustrated breath. “If you wanted to go hunting I would have taken you.”

“Do you even hunt?” Javier cringed and shrugged. Rainey gave him a flat look. “You don’t trust me.”

“ _Chingado_ ,” Javier muttered, running a hand through his hair. He met Rainey’s glacial stare and seemed to realize she was not going to back down. “Scars,  _chica_. Bad memories.”

“ _Dime_.”

Javier looked startled by the demand, but a sad smile tugged at his lips as he took Rainey’s hand. Rainey almost tugged it away, but the melancholy expression he wore gave her pause. It was the look of a man who had known great joy and had it ripped from his heart.

“I trusted a woman once,” he said, rubbing a thumb over her fingers. “I was in love with her, but she was married. She said she had no feelings for this man... that the marriage was forced and he was hurting her.”

Rainey had a bad feeling about the end of this story, but she gripped his hand back and stepped closer to him. “After a while I think she recognized my feelings for her,” Javier continued. “Told me if I could just get rid of her husband that we could run away together and start a new life.”

“Lies,” he hissed. “I killed her husband for her and brought the law in Mexico down on my head… all so she could run away with another man. I was just convenient.”

“I’m not her,” Rainey said after a beat.

“No,” Javier agreed, touching her face with such reverence it was easy for Rainey to let go of her anger. “Forgive me. Maybe Charles would be the better choice after all,  _chica_. I don’t know if I could ever give you what you deserve.”

“Charles is a fine man,” Rainey said, and she almost felt bad when Javier’s face fell in defeat. “But he ain’t you.”

Javier was staring at her one minute and the next she was pinned up against the flat of the boulder trying to keep up with the fervor of his kiss. He lifted her by the backs of her knees and wrapped her legs around his waist as if he couldn’t get close enough. Rainey moaned into his mouth as a hard bulge pressed against her with tantalizing insistence.

“Rainey! Where the hell did you－” Sadie’s words cut off with an ‘oh’ as she walked up on them, an impish smile lighting up her eyes. “Well then…”

Javier held fast to their position until Rainey swatted him to let her down. “Did you...uhm... find a trail?”

“Sure did,” Sadie said, glancing at Javier. “Looks like you found what you were lookin’ for too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the wait. I'm back to work now and all caught up with myself, so they make take time but the chapters are still coming, I promise! And the smut will be coming too, just be patient my lovelies.


	11. Once

After a two hour hunt Sadie came away with a fine buck. Rainey was fuming by then since Javier’s contribution had been to follow along, clearly bored, groping Rainey at every available opportunity. Part of her was still furious he had laid hands on her, though she knew going in to this that Javier was no saint. It never occurred to Rainey that he would ever mean her harm.

The moment Javier’s hand curled around her throat was the first time Rainey had caught a true glimpse of the outlaw.

It was a bitter tonic to swallow. Rainey knew she should make the safe choice and walk away from a threat like that, but she was drawn to the danger. Every part of her wanted him, but there was no way in hell Rainey was going to let Javier pretend like nothing happened.

“I’ll put it on Taima,” Charles said, having helped Sadie carry the buck back to the horses.

Boaz was tied next to the packhorse, and Javier stopped walking when he realized Rainey wasn’t following. He turned around and held his arms out. “Come on,  _chica_ , I’ll give you a ride back to camp.”

Rainey crossed her own arms and set her jaw. “I’ll pass.”

From the other side of the packhorse Rainey could almost feel the curious glances from Sadie and Charles. The attention made her skin prickle uncomfortably, but she knew she needed to stand her ground. Javier tutted and gestured to Taima.

“You and Sadie both can’t ride on Taima, and that horse looks like it can barely hold one.”

Rainey clenched her teeth. She hadn’t thought of that, and Javier pushing the issue was making her hackles rise. Luckily camp wasn’t too far away, and if she had to walk she would just to prove her point. One way or the other she needed to  _go_ , otherwise she thought she might strangle the man. Or pounce him. Anything to wipe that smirk off of his face.

Hoofbeats thundered Rainey’s rescue as Arthur came riding down the trail. Without a word she stalked off toward him, yelling his name and waving him down as Javier tried to call her back. Walking away from her problems seemed to be the theme of the day, and Rainey just shook her head as she fixed Arthur with a pleading look.

“You headin’ into town? I would love to buy you a drink.”

Arthur leaned over the side of his thoroughbred and spit tobacco on the ground, eyes crinkling as he focused his attention through the trees. A put upon sigh escaped him, and he held an arm down to Rainey. “Come on then.”

Rainey pulled herself up, grimacing only slightly. “I’m not interrupting important business am I?”

“Naw. Just meetin’ Dutch at Keane’s,” Arthur said. “What was that about back there? I thought you was huntin’ with Sadie and Charles.”

“I was. Then Javier showed up… it’s a long story.”

Arthur hummed and glanced over his shoulder, shifting his weight in the saddle. “Anything you wanna...er...talk about?”

Rainey scoffed. “Not with you. A stiff drink will do me just fine.”

Arthur smartly decided not to pursue any more questions. They arrived in Valentine in front of the ramshackle saloon where Dutch’s white horse was hitched outside. Rainey eyeballed The Count as she walked past, careful to skirt around the hostile beast. Following in Arthur’s wake she entered the dingy dark saloon and headed straight for the bar to order two drinks while Arthur spoke to Dutch.

From the snippets of conversation Rainey gathered Herr Strauss was sent with John to gather some money. It relieved her that she had missed the loan shark － the Austrian man had always unsettled her with his apathetic gaze and indifference to the plights of the desperate. A man like that was the worst kind of crook.

Rainey plunked Arthur’s whiskey in front of him next to a glass Dutch had poured Arthur from his own bottle and knocked back her own glass, tuning out their conversation. If Dutch minded her presence he didn’t say so, though she felt his attention skim over her like an oil slick. After brief consideration Rainey helped herself to the shot she had bought Arthur, letting the liquor sear away her irritation.

Outside the window movement caught her attention. Rainey squinted through the dirty windows and frowned as an assembly of men gathered outside the saloon. In all her time in Valentine she never remembered Keane’s having much more business than drunkards like Uncle who spent their last few coins on the cheap swill they served. Hair prickled at the back of her neck, and when she saw John and Strauss struggling in the grips of the men she grabbed Arthur’s arm and squeezed.

“Boys, we have a problem.”

“Dutch van der Linde!” A booming voice thundered from outside. Dutch and Arthur frowned at each other and moved to the window. “You don’t know me, but you keep robbing me!”

“They’ve got John and Strauss,” Rainey whispered.

She checked her hip as the man, who introduced himself as Leviticus Cornwall, continued to goad Dutch into coming out. Javier’s pistol and the one she had nabbed from the O’Driscoll were still in place, though in her hands it wasn’t much comfort. Acid churned in her stomach as she realized this confrontation was not going to end well.

Rainey was most worried for John who had a knife held to his throat. Once the shooting began (and it will, Rainey thought) there was a good chance both he and Strauss would be the first casualties. Thinking quickly, Rainey rushed upstairs, taking them two at a time. Behind her Arthur was yelling something, but all she caught was a furious “Goddamnit!” as she disappeared onto the second floor. Rainey searched the ceiling for a hatch to the attic. If she could just get to the roof she would have a vantage point she could take her time and aim from.

After locating the hatch Rainey rushed up the ladder, ignoring the first rounds firing outside. The attic was a cramped dirty space, but light leaked through another covered opening that probably lead to the roof. Rainey crawled on her hands and knees as fast as she could, splinters digging into her palms from the dry wood. The firefight had escalated by the time she flung open the door and edged to the corner of the roof to assess the situation.

John and Strauss had escaped their captors and added more guns to their side, but members of the Valentine community had joined Cornwall’s men and had them outnumbered. Rainey gripped her stolen pistol in hand and took aim, remembering Charles’s criticism and willing herself not to flinch when she pulled the trigger. A bang rang out and one of Cornwall’s men dropped his gun as the bullet whizzed through the shoulder of his shooting arm.

Rainey hid behind the back of the facade and hoped no one noticed the direction of the shot in the melee. The longer she remained undetected increased her own chances at escaping unscathed. That would mean strategically timed and accurate shots.

Holding her breath Rainey popped up again and spotted the gang trying to push forward through town. She took another shot when Cornwall’s men discharged their own weapons, trying to pass her own shot off as friendly fire. Surprisingly it hit her mark; a shot through the throat of a man in the middle of a reload that made Rainey feel accomplished until she realized everyone was moving out of her range.

Rainey looked down the sides of the building and intended to drop to the balcony, but more men with guns had emerged from the rooms on the second floor to see what all the fuss was about. Rainey pulled away from the ledge and checked around, sweat beading on her forehead when she realized she was trapped.

Adrenaline rushed her veins as she noticed the building next door. It would be a stretch, but the roof was close enough if she got a running start. Backing up as far as she could she sent a silent prayer and ran, foot pushing off the small side overhang in a suicide leap through the air. The roof seemed to rush up at her when she landed, offering no yield and scraping her belly raw on weathered shingles where her shirt had ridden up.

With no time to waste Rainey ignored the chafing pain and worked on lowering herself to the ground from the back where the roof of the porch was lower to the ground. Shots still rang out ahead, and she stayed low as she ran around the back of the saloon and toward the main drag of Valentine.

Most of the attention was focused on the gang as she came up behind the sheriff’s office. Through the alley she could see the boys loading Strauss into the back of the wagon; injured, Rainey assumed. Arthur was trying to provide cover fire, but she feared for him so out in the open with only the wagon for protection as John and Dutch pushed it down the road at a snail’s pace.

Rainey fired at a man shooting at Arthur from behind. The first bullet sailed a little too close to Arthur, and for a brief moment his gun was trained on her hiding place until he recognized Rainey. She mouthed ‘sorry’ as she took the second shot and clipped the man’s leg － not the best shot, but enough to have him nursing the bleeding appendage rather than shooting at her mentor.

Ducking back she stalked behind the next building to enter another alley, but the cold steel of a barrel dug into her temple as soon as she rounded a corner. Rainey froze, certain it was her end. She wasn’t sure why her attacker hesitated, but as she used the moment and palmed the knife up her sleeve and knocked the gun to the side she realized with a snort it was probably because she was a woman. She punched the blade up through the soft underside of his throat, spraying warm blood all over herself.

The man dropped, but his gun had discharged the round when she knocked his arm out of the way. The noise had brought some of the men around the back and Rainey booked it away from the businesses, her heart pounding in her chest as shots sailed by her head. There was no way she was going to make it back to the gang on foot with all these men on her tail. Her only chance would be to distract them and steal a horse when she could for her own escape.

Rainey glanced over her shoulder just as another bullet came flying, and a burning pain seared her cheek as she shot blindly behind her. Blood streamed from the wound, and she clamped her free hand over it to stem the bleeding. Her lungs were burning, the adrenaline was wearing down and introducing her to what she had been putting herself through, and hoofbeats were now riding up on her fast.

Rainey stumbled as the horse overtook her, and a hard knock to her head had her dropping to the ground and seeing stars. There was a shout and more gunshots, and it took a moment but Rainey registered that they hadn’t been aimed at her. More hoofbeats came, and then the distinct shout of her name had her pulling away from the allure of unconsciousness.

“Rainey!  _Levántate_! Get on!”

Boaz came skidding to a halt in front of her as she picked herself from the ground, Javier firing to the side. She pulled herself up behind him. “Go!” Rainey urged, holding him tight.

Javier spurred Boaz out of Valentine as fast as he would carry them, riding off the main roads and deep into cover to lose anyone following. Rainey wanted to cling to Javier for all it was worth, but she was conscious of all the blood covering her and settled for squeezing his thigh in a silent thank you.

“Are you alright back there?”

“Dizzy,” Rainey admitted, trying not to focus too much on the lush scenery as it flew by. Javier turned in the saddle and blanched when he got a good look at her face. “Don’t worry, it’s not all mine. I could use a stream though.”

Javier directed Boaz closer to the Dakota River to fill her request. “Trouble,  _chica_ , what did I tell you? You should have just ridden with me back to camp.”

“I was pissed at you,  _cabrón_! Kinda still am, as a matter of fact.”

Javier stopped Boaz in a thicket of trees, and Rainey slid from his back. Javier jumped down and stopped her before she could walk off, fingers examining the graze wound on her cheek until he was satisfied it wasn’t serious. “I never meant to hurt you,” he said in a quiet voice.

“Oh, you meant to,” Rainey said, touching his face softly. Javier tried to look away, but Rainey dug her bloody fingers into his jaw and forced his gaze. “I see you, Javier Escuella － the violence, the temper. I never fooled myself about the kind of man you are.”

Rainey let him go and started toward the brook that trickled through the trees. Blood was drying on the back of her neck and in her hair, and her clothes were in desperate need of washing. She found a spot where water splashed down an incline of mossy rocks, creating enough of a waterfall that would serve to rinse her hair of most of the blood.

Just as she was removing her gunbelt Javier came up with a bar of soap and a fresh shirt he laid on the ground, his expression subdued and distant. Rainey dropped her belt to the ground, pulled off her boots and added her hat to the pile. After undoing her hair she glanced at Javier, who knelt at the stream to rinse the blood she’d smeared on his face.

“Thank you,” Rainey said, her fingers hovering over the buttons of her shirt, “for saving my ass. I don’t think I told you that. Dunno how you knew I needed help.”

Javier stood. “ _De nada_. I…” He rubbed the back of his neck and exhaled. “I followed you.”

Rainey snorted and undid the top button of her shirt, aware of the keen brown eyes watching her every move. “Of course you did.” She popped open another button, swallowing thickly. “Good thing too, because I woulda been dead or jailed without you.” Her fingers reached the halfway point, and she snapped her eyes up to catch him staring,  _waiting._ “You gonna stand there, or are you gonna help me?”

Javier closed the gap between them, handing off the soap and running a callused finger in a line down the parted space of her shirt. “You would let me after what I done?”

“ _Sí_ ,” Rainey whispered as he worked the last buttons open, “because I know it ain’t gonna happen again, is it?”

“No,  _mi reina_ ,” Javier acquiesced, sliding the shirt from her shoulders and making her shiver as she bared herself to his hungry gaze. “I will only treasure you.”  As Rainey worked on the clasp of her pants his touch ghosted the angry red scrapes on the flat of her belly. “What happened?”

“Heh.” Rainey shimmied from her pants. “I had to uh, jump from the saloon roof to another. Didn’t quite stick the landing.”

Javier groaned, though whether from desire or disbelief she wasn’t sure. Even exposed in the mild air she felt hot as Javier’s strong hands inched up her sides, the pads of his thumbs tracing the bumps and curves of her hip bones and ribs, mapping out her body and drinking in the details. The reverent scrutiny made Rainey squirm, but it made her feel beautiful and alive.

“I need to get this blood off me,” Rainey interrupted, catching Javier’s wrist and examining the shallow cut she had left in the skin earlier. It was a two inch angry red line of warning, and it gave Rainey a twisted sense of pride to see her mark on him. She lowered her lips to the damage and kissed it, turning away to wash herself in the stream.

“Not goin’ to join me?” Rainey asked when her head emerged from the spray of water to find Javier standing at the bank and watching her while he puffed on a cigarette.

“We need to get back,” Javier lamented, “or I would already have been making you cry my name,  _cariño_.”


	12. Doce

Camp was a flurry of activity once they returned, announcing their arrival to Bill, who stood guarding the path with more of an alert bearing than Rainey had seen from anyone with the chore. Shooting up an entire town had that effect, she supposed. Miss Grimshaw could be heard shouting orders at anyone who would listen. Tents were coming down, supplies were being packed and Dutch was bent close to Hosea in his tent while Molly packed in a huff behind them.

Sadie spotted them upon their return and jogged over as Rainey dismounted. “Arthur was worried sick about ya! Said he couldn’t find you after everything went down. Dutch sent him and Charles to scout out a new camp.”

“It was a near thing, but Javier saved my ass,” Rainey admitted. A sharp smack to her rear made her jump and elicit an embarrassing squeak of surprise.

“It’s too nice of an ass to lose,” Javier stopped to say in a low voice by her ear as he walked by. Promises echoed in the look her threw at her as he walked, or rather  _strutted_ , away.

Sadie was shaking so hard with laughter at Rainey’s stunned, reddening face that no sound would come out. Rainey slapped the brim of Sadie’s hat and knocked it off her head, which seemed to break the spell of her silent laughter. “Shut up.” Rainey stopped mid-step to turn back around and add “You really are the worst.”

“Miss Bennett!”

There had never been a time before then that Rainey had been more glad to hear Dutch’s voice. Dutch was beckoning to her with a ring-covered hand, the gems glinting in the the sunlight. Hosea had a reassuring smile on his face － grandfatherly, in a way, and comforting. It made perfect sense to Rainey why the Van der Linde invoked such loyalty within its members. With Dutch’s ambitious fantasies of the future and Hosea’s affability it was the perfect con; so good, even Dutch and Hosea believed in it.

Whether malicious or not, Rainey knew when someone wanted something from her. Ultimately, to be in a gang meant being used for a means to an end. It was not unexpected － Rainey knew that from the start － but it was still stifling. Being on her own for so long had given her complete freedom, and in a way she had temporarily cashed it in for a place to heal and get her bearings.

Now that the camp was moving, it made Rainey feel torn. Truth was Arthur had the right of it when he suggested she hadn’t planned to stick around. Leaving the gang would be the smartest option, because Rainey knew it was just a matter of time before it collapsed. When even the stolid Arthur had doubts she took it as a bad omen. Factoring Javier to the mix she found herself with conflicted emotions she didn’t know what to do with.

Pushing all her thoughts to the back of her mind she approached the pair and tipped her hat. “Gentlemen.”

“It’s good to see you made it back,” Hosea said warmly, his smile easy and sanguine. “Arthur was concerned you didn’t make it out.”

“This young woman jumped across rooftops to help cover us,” Dutch said, puffing on a cigar as he wove his dramatics into the story with wide gesturing hands. “I had no doubt she would be fine.”

Rainey shifted beneath the praise. She really had hoped no one had witnessed her idiotic feat, but of course Dutch of all people had taken notice. In the middle of a  _gunfight_. It was likely this was all just a lead in anyhow, so she forced herself to meet their gazes.

“I didn’t do much.” Rainey decided to reply honestly. “Without help I wouldn’t’ve made it out.”

“Ah, yes, I saw you ride in with Mr. Escuella,” Hosea said with a wistful grin.

“I do hope you plan to stay with us for a while yet, Miss Bennett,” Dutch said after a lull. A gray plume of smoke curled in a dense fog around his head as he savored another pull from his cigar. There were more to his words than he was saying, but his dark eyes glittered with expectancy.

“I think I will,” Rainey replied on impulse after a beat. Doubts welled up inside her, but she let them go. So far nothing had been asked of her, and she could always leave later when things became too hairy.

It seemed the conversation was over after that, and Rainey bid them good evening to go make herself useful in dismantling her makeshift home.

Charles came back later that night and told Dutch about the little spot he and Arthur had cleared that was bordered by Flat Iron Lake. Dutch gathered everyone around and informed the group they would be heading out at first light. Packing everything up had ran late into the night, and there were only a few hours until they would be back up to depart.

Most people were catching a nap under the open sky, but Rainey was slinking through the woods and trying to use the moonlight through the trees to illuminate her steps. Javier was on guard duty, and Rainey had found herself too restless to sleep. Aside from her doubts all she could think of were eyes so darkened with lust they looked black and the ravenous way they had drank in her naked form.

It would be Rainey’s luck Dutch would decide to move camp on a night she would have gladly given herself over to Javier’s charms. Never did she think she would find herself so enthralled by the opposite sex, but Javier lit a fire in her she didn’t know she possessed. He  _excited_ her, made Rainey feel things she didn’t think she could feel.

Deep down Rainey knew the only reason she had agreed to stay with the gang was because of Javier.

Rainey pulled her hide jacket tighter around her as she neared Javier’s alert form. She made sure to approach in his peripheral to avoid getting mistakenly shot, but by the smirk shaping his lips and his relaxed manner Javier knew it was her before she appeared next to him.

“You should be getting some rest,” Javier observed, shifting against the tree to make room as Rainey nestled up beside him. “Long day tomorrow.”

“Probably,” Rainey agreed. “Can’t sleep.”

“ _Qué está interrumpiendo tus dulce sueños de mí_?”

Rainey heated up as she was able to catch his drift,  _sueños de mí_ making her stomach flutter uncontrollably.  _What interrupts your dreams of me_. Feeling breathless, Rainey gathered her courage and brushed her lips against the fine rough stubble of his jaw.

“The real thing,” she whispered, the words barely escaping her dry throat.

Javier growled and turned to push Rainey up against the tree with his hips and rest his hands on either side of her head. It amazed and gratified her that she could invoke such a strong reaction with words alone and dulled the apprehension of her inexperience. Unsure of her next course of action Rainey draped her arms around his neck to invite him closer, willing her pounding heart to calm. Javier was no stranger to women, but Rainey was a novice playing it by ear. After so long of eschewing men and romantic involvements she felt she was reeling with desires and emotions she had long repressed.

“You learn quick,” Javier praised, nuzzling into her neck and doing nothing to disguise his lust. “How do you know so much  _Español_ , hm?”

“Umn… _rancheros_.” Javier’s teasing nips were distracting. Each time he caught a pinch of skin between his teeth it was all she could do not to melt at his feet.

Javier chuckled low in his throat. “And when we met I thought you didn’t like  _Mexicanos_. Maybe you just have a taste for Latinos.”

Rainey scoffed and tugged his ponytail. “They worked for my pa. ‘Sides I already told you I ain’t ever been close to anyone like that.” Rainey kissed his lips, pulling back only enough to speak. “Like this.”

Tired of conversation Rainey kissed him again, a burst of aggression fueling her as she pulled him hard against her. Javier responded at once, caressing her tongue in a sensuous dance and then sucking her bottom lip into his mouth to nibble. Rainey moaned and let her hands wander, annoyed only when his bandolier got in the way of where her fingers wanted to go. She grinned against his mouth and lifted her thigh between his legs to offer friction instead, applying enough pressure to tease the hardness in his pants.

Javier almost fell against her as he moaned, and then he was pulling away. “No, no, no Rainey,” he whined, closing his eyes and throwing his head back like he was in agony. “ _Ay mi reina, me estás matando_. I would take you up against this tree if you let me.”

Rainey frowned. “Then what’s wrong?”

Javier kissed her forehead and wrapped her into his arms with a tender affection that made her heart race almost as much as when he was kissing her senseless. “You never went to a man? Not once?”

“No,” Rainey said, suddenly self-conscious. “Is that… it’s not a problem is it?”

“ _Qué_? No!” Javier said, peppering her face with reassuring kisses. “I want to do it right for you,  _mi reina_. I would take my time and pleasure you in a real bed and hear every beautiful noise you’re going to make.” Javier finished with another lingering kiss on her lips before forcing himself away. “Besides, I am supposed to be on guard duty.”

“Have it your way,” Rainey grumbled, thunking her head back against the hard bark of the tree and focusing on the pinch of her scalp as stray hairs from her braid caught in the grooves. Though she ached with need and pretended to be disappointed at the delay she felt full to bursting with fondness.

“Oh I’ll have it my way,  _chica_.” Javier fished in his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. “Now why don’t you tell me more about these  _rancheros_ you knew?”

 

✭✭✭

 

Rainey shifted in the back of the wagon, her lack of sleep making her temper flare dangerously. The other women were crowded in with her and gossiping as usual, and the conversation had turned to men,  _as usual_. Which would have been fine － Rainey had even pricked an ear at the discussion while staring disinterestedly out the back at the rolling terrain as it passed and hoped to learn something useful － but then the gossip turned to hushed whispers about interest in some of the Van der Linde men.

“Charles would be my choice,” Karen confided. “Look at the size of him! I bet he could take care of a girl like me.”

“Because Sean surely ain’t doin’ it!” Tilly laughed, Karen shushing her volume but giggling as she pulled a small bottle of whiskey from her bust.

Karen sipped the liquor and passed the bottle. “He tries… for a minute at least.”

The ladies dissolved into a fit of giggles that made Rainey want to roll her eyes. Mary-Beth glanced up from her novel and gave a vague smile. “What about Mr. Morgan? I bet he’s handsome if he ever smiled.”

“Gross,” Rainey muttered, tuning out to rest her head back against the wagon wall. The thought of Arthur in a romantic context made her cringe.

“Come on, Rainey!” Sadie barked a laugh and slapped her leg. “Can’t tell me Arthur ain’t a fine lookin’ man.”

“Never said he wasn’t handsome,” Rainey responded with her eyes closed, “but it’s still gross to think of him like that. He’s like a father.”

“Well I would call him ‘daddy!’” Karen snickered with a waggling of her eyebrows.

“He’s a finer man than Mr. Escuella at any rate,” Abigail chimed in from the back worked of the wagon. It was the first time Rainey had spent any amount of time with the woman without her son nearby. Little Jack had begged to ride with his Uncle Hosea for a while, and the con man was unable to deny him. “He can be a real creep.”

Abigail’s words seemed to suck out the light-heartedness of the wagon as Rainey stared at the woman with an impassive hostility. Uncle’s teasing words to Javier surfaced in Rainey’s mind, and she bit her tongue to calm herself down. She knew Javier had spent some time with Abigail, but her cutting acknowledgement of it made her belly burn.

Though Abigail appeared earnest with her evaluation like she was offering Rainey a helping hand Rainey’s annoyance spiked. “And how’s John workin’ out for ya?” Rainey asked in a flat voice.

Abigail gave a sour pout and stuck her chin in the air. “I was only tryin’ to warn ya. Used to creep around and watch me all the time. Never knew when he were goin’ to show up. Woulda never messed with him in the first place if it weren’t for earnin’ my keep.”

Rainey glanced across to Sadie, who was watching Rainey warily. The older woman must have sensed the danger in her disposition because she gave a slight shake of her head. Rainey curled her hands into fists and dug her blunt nails into her palm, using the pain to keep her rational.

“Noted,” Rainey replied, springing from the back of the wagon.

Walking would be better than listening to an ex- _whore_ cast aspersions on Javier. John was hardly a prize; Arthur had shared his opinions on the man late one night while in his cups in a rare moment he had been at camp. Rainey remembered a younger, more immature version of the John from when she met the earlier incarnation of the gang. After learning how he abandoned his child and continued to deny the sweet boy Rainey saw not much had changed since then.

Abigail’s words taunted her, however. What Abigail claimed wasn’t unreasonable. Javier had an intensity about him that rolled from his bearing and made him a distinct presence, and he  _had_ just showed up while she had been hunting with Sadie and Charles. Rainey couldn’t decide what was more distressing; that Abigail had a point or because she had been with him first.

As jealousy warred with concern Boaz trotted up to her, Javier holding an arm down. “Come on,  _chica_ , ride with me. We’re almost there. Boaz won’t mind.”

A glare at Javier flashed in Rainey’s eyes before she could catch herself and took his offer. He pulled her up in front of him and scooted back to give her enough space to settled between his thighs. “I told you to get some rest,” he pointed out as if sensing her irritation.

“I’m fine,” Rainey grumped, leaning back into him despite herself. After noticing everyone was out of earshot if she spoke quietly Rainey cleared her throat and picked at the worn leather of the pommel. “Any, uh, past relations in the camp you mind warnin’ me about other than Abigail?”

Javier huffed a breath from his nose behind her. “Is that why you’re cranky? That was a long time ago.”

“Well you left an impression. Got a nice earful about it.”

“That was years ago, Rainey,” Javier dismissed. “I learned my lesson with her about women around camp.”

“Apparently not.” Rainey chanced a peek at him over his shoulder, disliking the smug turn of his lips. “Abigail acted like you were obsessed with her.”

“I was a younger man, and new to this country; barely spoke English. I was taken with the idea of a woman willing to warm my bed. At first, I didn’t even realize she was whore until Bill explained it to me.” Javier let his words sink in for a while, dropping an open-mouthed kiss to the juncture of her neck when no one was looking. “Jealousy looks good on you,  _chica_.”

“Tsh, ‘younger man.’” Rainey shifted in his arms, her bad mood evaporating in the morning sun. “You know, Arthur did tell me you’re about the same age. Guess you are kinda a pervert,” Rainey teased.

“Mmm... _sí_.” His right hand squeezed high on her thigh, his thumb brushing close to her core, teasing. “You’ll just have to call me  _papi_ ,  _niñita_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: thirteen is my favorite number. ;)


	13. Trece

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed the rating to explicit, so there's that.

Javier was unloading Boaz. The poor horse was tired and hot from carrying two people plus Javier’s supplies. Rainey patted his muzzle and dug around in her satchel for a sugar cube. She was sure there were a couple knocking around in the bottom of a pocket from when she kept a stash for Zeke. A pang of sadness echoed in her heart at the reminder.  

“I’m gonna go talk to Arthur,” Rainey said, holding out a somewhat crumbly sugar cube for Boaz, who licked it up from her palm greedily. “He’ll want to tell me how idiotic I am as soon as possible.”

“He does that to John too you know,” said Javier, lifting the saddle from Boaz and setting it aside. Rainey admired the flexing muscles in his forearm. “I think it’s how he shows he cares.”

Rainey scowled. “Well, it’s irritatin’.”

“Quit doing stupid things.”

Rainey’s mouth fell open at his cheeky response and the mischief written on his face as he stood up and dusted himself off. With a playful narrowing of her eyes she wrapped an arm around his middle. Trying to ignore the fact that the entire camp was milling around Rainey planted a sound kiss on his lips, smiling in triumph at the pleasant surprise on his face.

“Maybe I enjoy doing stupid things.”

Rainey let him go and walked away, fighting the urge to look back over her shoulder. Arthur was setting his cot up beneath the shade of his already assembled canopy. Lemoyne was hot, the air muggy and the sun sometimes unrelenting, and the shade was a welcome relief. As much as Rainey adored her hide jacket it was almost unbearable, and she shrugged it off and tossed it over a barrel Arthur had already drug off the back of the ammunitions wagon.

“Make yourself comfortable, by all means,” Arthur said dryly. Sweat shined on his forehead and curled the fringes of his hair. He looked up at her and gave her a once over, his eyes resting on her cheek. “Looks like you got out mostly unharmed. What’s that on your face?”

“I may have gotten too comfy with a bullet,” Rainey downplayed.

“Like I almost got comfy with one of  _your_ bullets?”

“‘Thank you, Rainey, for covering me while I was out in the open getting shot at from all sides,’ said Arthur Morgan never.”

Arthur shot her a glare and brushed off the canvas of his finished cot, knocking long dried pieces of grass and mud from its surface. “Glad you’re okay,” he said in almost a grumble. “How’d you manage to get outta there anyway?”

Rainey shoved up her shirt sleeves to her elbows, unconsciously drawing Arthur’s attention to it. “Javier, huh?” he deduced with a smirk.

“Yeah.” Rainey paused. “I uh, told Dutch I was gonna stick around for a while. He kinda gave me that look like he was writin’ me a part in a play or somethin’.”

“I know that look,” Arthur acknowledged with a dip of his head, creases marring his face. He gestured to the back of the wagon. “Come on and help me unload some of this stuff.”

One task turned into another after that, until Rainey’s muscles ached and the sun went down. Everyone in camp was tired from setting everything up, most retiring for the night. Javier was drinking whiskey by the campfire listening to Sean jabbering on some never-ending tangent. John sat silent and sulking with a bottle of his own in hand, and Charles carved away on a long piece of wood.

Rainey joined them, seating herself on the ground next to Javier with a bowl of stew in hand. Weariness suppressed her appetite and the stew’s consistency as she let it fall from her spoon did nothing to encourage it. She had hardly eaten all day, so she forced a few bites before offering the bowl out to Sean, who looked like he needed it as much as she did.

And would hopefully shut him up for a few minutes.

Sean happily accepted the extra serving, and as predicted a few moments of peace descended as he ate, the popping and crackling of the fire seeming to put them all in a trance. Rainey drew her knees up, linked her arms around them and rested her forehead on the bumpy surface of her knees. She still had yet to set up her own space, though she needed a trip into town for some much needed supplies.

“ _Bebida_?” Javier asked, nudging her fingers with his bottle. Rainey swiped the air with her hand to decline. A warm hand settled onto her lower back and a thumb rubbed soothing circles over the notches of her spine. “Come lay with me then,” he said low in her ear.

Rainey lifted her head and took the hand he offered her, letting him pull them both up. All along Rainey had been hoping to crawl into his bedroll, though she had been too nervous to ask. It was undeniable there was something strong between them, but they never talked about exactly what and Rainey had no idea of the rules that applied. Javier pulled her the few feet to his tent, ushering her past him with a hand on her back.

Rainey dropped her satchel on the ground and shed her holster belt, guns, boots and hat. Unencumbered she slid beneath the blankets and collapsed onto her stomach, burying her face in Javier’s pillow and breathing in his scent. Javier finished undressing and joined her, scooting close to rub soothing strokes down her back. Rainey sighed and opened her eyes.

The moment felt disconnected, like a dream, as Rainey memorized the details of his face. It was relaxed as he stared intently at her in the dark, the normal lines smoothing and giving him a less severe resting countenance. Contentment filled her from head to toe. Rainey adjusted herself in his arms to move closer to tip her head back to kiss his chapped lips and share in her elation.

“Will you take me into Rhodes with you tomorrow?” Rainey whispered, burying her hand in his hair and massaging his scalp. It was rare he let his dark locks free from a ponytail, and she delighted in the feel of it as it tangled between her fingers. “I need some things, and I was hoping… we could get a room somewhere?”

Pins and needles prickled at Rainey’s skin as she waited for his response. Javier thumbed her sharp jawline and delivered a sweet kiss between her eyes. “You’re sure,  _chica_?”

“I ain’t ever wanted anything else more.”

Javier captured her mouth and kissed her slow and deep, massaging her tongue in long languid strokes until her head felt like it was spinning. If it weren’t for sheer exhaustion from having not slept the night before Rainey would have begged him to take her right there, no matter how many people were right outside by the campfire. Javier pulled away from their kiss with a shaky breath, guiding Rainey’s head to rest on his chest.

The staccato rhythm of his heart and heat of his embrace was all it took to coax her to sleep.

 

✭✭✭

 

Waking up next to Javier was a sight for sore eyes.

The blanket had slipped down Javier’s bare torso to expose the strong line of his back and the lean stretch of his muscles where his arms were pillowed beneath his head. Dark strands of hair fell across his face, his scars standing out against the sleep-smoothed skin. Rainey brushed his hair back and admired his roguish features.

The amount of feelings Rainey had for the man were so overwhelming it almost hurt.

Pricking her ears Rainey discerned that it was still early or everyone was having a lie in from the long day of moving. It surprised her Javier wasn’t already awake to start his morning rituals. Leaning up Rainey planted kisses along his shoulders and the back of his neck to tease him awake, smiling wide when an arm stretched around her and pulled her close. Javier buried his face in her neck and hummed, grinding his morning erection into her hip.

“Eager for  _papi_ ,  _mi reina_?” Javier murmured, brushing his stubble on her sensitive skin of the throat.

Rainey sighed and carded her fingers through his hair. Fantasies of waking up this way forever flitted through her mind, but pragmatism drove them away. It was easier to live in the moment than to give thought to the myriad uncertainties that haunted the future.

“I’m ain’t calling you that,” Rainey responded lightly, her voice husky from sleep.

“ _Por qué no_?” Javier pulled the extra material of her borrowed shirt aside to drop wet hot kisses between her breasts.

“Because…” Rainey stretched beneath him and offered no real explanation, her back arching closer to his sinful mouth of its own accord. Javier gave throaty chuckle and lifted his head to watch her face as he cupped her throbbing sex through her pants. Rainey bit her lip hard to keep from moaning.

“Not even once?” he pouted, working the heel of his palm into her core. “Not even for making you feel so good,  _niñita_?”

Stubbornness urged Rainey to keep up her charade, but the truth was she’d call the man anything he wanted to keep feeling this kind of pleasure. The wafting smell of cigar smoke on the wind broke her euphoric reverie, and Rainey clenched her thighs together to stop Javier’s devious hand. Javier frowned, but Rainey rolled on top of him and pressed a firm kiss to his lips.

“Fine,” she said, cupping him through his long johns. Javier stifled a groan and pushed his hips into her hand. She moved to whisper into his ear. “Get up and take me to town,  _papi_.”

Javier growled as Rainey got up and began to dress. Gazing out of Javier’s lean-to Rainey could see Dutch’s silhouette moving around in his tent, just like she suspected. Mortification would not have been a strong enough word if Dutch had caught them fooling around. Or, God forbid, Arthur.

The thought of Arthur reminded Rainey of Karen’s suggestive statement about calling Arthur ‘daddy.’ It was the primary reason calling Javier  _papi_ disturbed her, no matter how beautifully lustful it seemed to make him. That was just an association between the two she did  _not_ want to make.

“I’m getting coffee. Don’t keep me waiting too long,  _muchacho_.”

Rainey smirked at the way she could feel Javier watching her, all heat and desire. As she walked away Rainey thought Abigail was an idiot for ever turning her nose up at such suave intensity. It inspired Rainey’s own sensuality, bringing out a side of her she never knew existed.

With Javier, she felt free.

Halfway through her fortifying cup of coffee Javier joined her. Excitement had been building in her breast while she waited, but her nervousness spiked as well. Pleasing a man who had been with several other women was a daunting task, and the more Rainey thought about it the more she worried she wouldn’t be enough for a man like Javier. Even compared to Abigail’s coarse sort of beauty Rainey felt lacking, not to mention whatever Mexican beauties he’d had in his home country.

“Ready when you are,  _chica_.” When she only nodded Javier glanced at her face and then took her free hand to caress her knuckles. “We can just get supplies if you prefer.”

“What? No.” Rainey snapped out of her mire of insecurity and pitched her cup to the ground to follow him. Javier grinned at her enthusiasm and pulled her toward Boaz.

After saddling up the horse they headed to town, the loose dry dirt of the trail puffing up in their wake. It was already hot, and Javier’s wandering hands were doing nothing to cool her down. Ever since Rainey had woken up she had been in a state of constant arousal, and she had a suspicion Javier aimed to keep it that way.  

The Rhodes Parlour House boasted all the amenities they were looking for on their hand-painted signs. Rainey hovered behind Javier as he ordered their room and baths under the distrustful glare and short words of the owner. If it weren’t for Dutch’s orders to lay low in town and her own preoccupations she would have had a few choice words for the man and his overt racism. Javier looked none too happy after the exchange, leading the way to their room while muttering  _hijo de puta_ under his breath.

As soon as they were inside the room and the latch clicked Rainey found herself up against the door. Javier had barely taken the time to drop the bag he’d grabbed from Boaz with a  _thump_ before he was gripping the backs of her knees and pulling them around his waist, using the hard wood behind her as leverage as he pinned her in place with his hips. Rainey gasped at the suddenness and braced herself by wrapping her arms tight around his shoulders.

“ _Estás listo para mí_?” Javier dropped his head to her throat, tracing up its curve with the tip of his nose to the soft flesh beneath her ear where he planted the lightest of kisses. “Tell me if you want me to stop.”

Rainey stared down at Javier, the nerves in her body transcending beyond the ability to feel anything but the all-consuming desire coursing through her. She squeezed her thighs tighter around him and gripped the back of his neck. “Don’t you dare.”

A devilish smile crossed his face right before they kissed; a frenzied, furious affair that left them panting as Javier shifted his grip to support her full weight so he could walk them backward to the bed. He sat on the edge of the mattress while Rainey straddled him, leaving him free to brush the hat from her head and work loose the buttons of her shirt after divesting her of her satchel.

“I never told you how beautiful you look in my shirt,” Javier said, taking his time to carefully part each section of fabric he loosed from the buttons despite the hardness she could feel prodding at her from his lap. Rainey buried her hand in his hair and worked the tie loose to let the dark strands fall around his face.

“Maybe I’ll keep it.”

The garment slid from her shoulders and pooled on the floor. Rainey shivered at the teasing brushes of Javier’s lips to her skin until she couldn’t take it anymore and pressed her chest impatiently to the hot comfort of his mouth. His roughened hands caressed away the chill of the room before working at the buckles of her gun belt. Rainey could do little more in her position than cling to him and surrender to the sensations he wrought upon her, moaning as his teeth worked a nipple and the belt dropped to the ground.

Forcing his face back up to her Rainey occupied his mouth with her own as she feverishly worked at his own clothes, yanking the material of his shirt and vest down his arms and out of the way at the same time. She blazed a path of kisses down his chest, drunk on the taste of him, grinding herself down against him to the best of her ability as his own gun belt dug into her thighs.

Javier groaned and rolled Rainey off of him to her back, his lust blown eyes never leaving her as he discarded his gun belt out of the way. “I want to feel you,” Rainey begged, color flooding her face but the sentiment remaining true all the same.

“Patience,  _mi reina_ ,” Javier cooed, pulling her boots off and peeling her pants down her legs with agonizing slowness. Rainey whimpered as he slid a finger through her folds, bucking her hips against his hand as he soothed away some of that ache and sent jolts of pleasure coursing through her. “You  _are_ eager for  _papi_.”

“ _Por favor_ , Javier.”

Her breathy plea had him tugging at his belt, unbuckling it just enough to be able to shed his pants after he toed off his boots. Javier knelt between her legs, a hand pumping up and down his proud erection, watching her with a feral gleam in his eye. He was teasing her － putting on a  _show－_ chuckling as she squirmed beneath him to urge him closer.

Rainey growled. She could almost cry for the want of him, and he was so close to where she needed. Javier finally eased her legs wide open, spreading the drenched lips of her womanhood to rub that glorious erection through her folds. Rainey panted, her whole body flushing at the obscene exposure and reveling in it at the same time.

“ _Dime_ ,” Javier commanded, sliding his tip to rest just outside her entrance. Flashes of their first intimate time together in Valentine ran through her mind.

“Take me,” Rainey breathed.

Javier sunk his tip slowly inside of her, pausing even though Rainey could see the muscles tensing in his body against his natural instincts. Unable to stand it anymore Rainey wrapped her legs around him and dug her heels into his backside to force him forward, sinking Javier to the hilt inside her. Rainey cried out at the painful stretch, clawing at his biceps as her walls struggled to adjust around him.

“ _Ay chingado,_ Rainey!” Sweat beaded his forehead, his chest heaving to keep himself under control. He sucked at her neck to distract her from the pain, pulsing his hips in shallow thrusts enough to acclimate her to his length.

The pain soon faded, and all Rainey could focus on was how full and hot she felt and the beautiful man laying worship to her body. Javier sat back up to admire the view of his length sliding in and out of her, his pace increasing as Rainey thrust her own hips up to meet his rhythm.

Throwing her legs over his shoulders Javier adjusted their positions so he could sink deeper inside of her, and Rainey’s clenched her eyes shut at the new sensation. She was beside herself, fisting her hand into his hair as he sucked a breast into his mouth while he worked her, his own grunts and moans fueling her passion as it stoked higher and higher.

She was so close to her release, could feel it building low in her belly, and she almost sobbed when he pulled out of her until his mouth replaced his cock. Stars exploded behind her eyelids as his tongue worked that sensitive bundle of nerves, and she clamped her thighs around his head and nearly came off the bed with a breathy wail as her release coursed through her, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.

Javier moaned and cursed, following her off the edge as he gave himself a few final furious pumps. Rainey’s whole body shook, a sheen of sweat cooling on her chest. Javier wiped his hand on the sheets and laid to rest his head on her belly, his mouth still gleaming with her juices as he kissed her stomach and caressed her thigh.

“Catch your breath,  _mi reina_ ,” Javier said after a couple minutes, kissing up to meet her mouth. “That was only the beginning.”


	14. Catorce

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to add this bit to the last chapter, but I didn't want to confuse anyone who had already read that far so it's a short one. Smut and feels 2.0 anyone?

Water licked at the sides of the tub as Rainey shifted, sinking lower into the warm liquid until only her head and arms resting on the edges were visible. Soreness pervaded her muscles, but it was the satisfying kind of ache that made her smile to herself when she closed her eyes.

Javier had promised pleasure and was a man of his word.

Looking down at herself Rainey could see evidence of that pleasure. Purple splotches sucked to the surface of her skin dotted her torso － each one felt like a claim, Javier marking his territory. At least, in her heart Rainey hoped so. Sex was only the surface of what she had given over to him; no matter how frugal she tried to be with her emotions, she privately admitted she had already given Javier so much more. Whether he realized how much more was a mystery, but there was no going back now.

Rainey loved him, plain and simple. It was her deepest secret, one that left her stricken with fear. Javier lived an outlaw’s life. No matter how Dutch tried to spin it, it was a selfish life that would invariably catch up with them all. Rainey tried so hard not to think on the future because she knew above all else Javier was loyal to his beliefs. No woman could ever rival his confidence in Dutch, and Rainey could never fool herself into feeling the same.

It was heartbreak waiting to happen.

The predicament gnawed at her as the door to the bath opened and Javier stepped inside with fresh clothes for them both. An air of complacency followed him since their first round and had only increased each time he subsequently made her breathe his name in rapture. The lazy smirk would almost be annoying except Javier wore it  _so well_ , and even when Rainey was in internal crisis she couldn’t help but give in to his charms.

“So serious,” Javier commented, depositing their clothes on top of the unoccupied chair. He stood and gazed down at her with his hands on his hips.

“Am not,” Rainey mumbled. She adjusted her sprawl in the tub to make room and reached out to finger Javier’s gun belt. “You gonna join me or just hover?”

Javier unbuckled his belt and draped it on the back of the chair before plucking open the buttons on his shirt. Rainey hooked her finger in one of his belt loops to yank him closer and began unclasping his pants. With his shirt gone and her face at the perfect level Rainey couldn’t help but follow that dark trail of hair below his belly button with her mouth, pulling his pants down and out of the way as she went. Javier groaned as his cock sprang free from its confines, her mouth so close to the hardening shaft.

“Rainey…” One of his hands drifted to the back of her head, caressing into her wet locks like they struggled to not urge her forward.

“Hmm?” Rainey fought a grin and kissed his lower belly, right above the start of the dark nest of hair framing his erection. She felt the brush of him against her neck and the fingers in her hair grip tighter.

“Ahh… don’t make me beg,  _chica_.”

Rainey swept her fingers up the coarse hair of his bare leg and scraped her teeth against his skin. “Beg for what?”

Those impatient fingers pulled her hair until she was forced to look up at him, into that fierce gaze that incinerated the worries that lingered in the back of her mind. “I don’t like to be teased,” he warned. Rainey answered him with a petulant smirk and stretched her tongue out to give the barest lick to the tip of his cock. Javier hissed and eased his hold on her, smoothing her wet locks back down.

“I think you do.” Rainey sat back and grabbed for a washcloth. “Come on, get in.”

Javier glared at her but obeyed, lowering himself down into the steaming water. Rainey moved around so she could straddle his legs and rub the cloth down his neck and chest, mesmerized by the rivulets of moisture as they traversed down the scarred planes of his skin. Dragging the rag down his back she felt the bumps of scar tissue there too and wondered what he had done to earn such brutal lashes.

“I’ve had those since I was a boy,” Javier offered as if reading her mind. Rainey met his gaze but continued her task, reaching for soap to lather the cloth. Javier tried to caress up her thigh underwater, but she caught his hand and held his arm up with a mock-stern look as she started soaping him up there.

“What for?”

“Stealing food.” Rainey finished his other arm, but before she could carry on to his torso Javier caught her hand. “What about these?”

Rainey glanced down at the multitude of ugly white scars scattered across her hands, some raised and others just shiny. Giving a crooked grin she shrugged a shoulder. “Some are from learning the hard way how to handle knives. I wasn’t no good with a gun, and I was scared Arthur would quit teachin’ me if I didn’t get good at using knives quick. Others are five finger fillet battle wounds.”

Rainey finished with his upper body and contemplated her next move, keenly aware of the insistent erection reaching for attention beneath the water. Javier brushed a thumb across one of her exposed nipples, and Rainey dropped the rag into the water and squeezed the back of his neck.

“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” she asked.

“It’s a compliment if you think about it.” His hands settled on her hips, clutching tight in lieu of pulling her forward like she knew he wanted and sinking himself inside her. It was written in his weighty gaze and the way he moistened his lips with his tongue, poising himself for what he knew was to come.

Rainey wrapped her arms around him and slid closer so she could feel the slide of him against her core. The teasing touch was enough to flare the lust inside her. Unblinking as she watched his Cheshire grin spread across his lips she positioned him at her entrance and sank down slow, relishing the stretch as she took him again. They both sighed at the sensation, Javier leaning back against the wall of the tub as Rainey braced herself on him.

“That’s it,  _mi reina_ , take your pleasure from me.”

Rainey bit back a moan at his words and kissed him instead, pouring every unsaid corner of her soul into it. She began to ride him slow, her thighs burning as she lifted her hips to slide along his shaft. The brush of her breasts against the dark hairs on his chest heightened her euphoria, and she tangled her fingers in his still-dry hair as she picked up her pace.

Water lapped dangerously at the edges of the tub, but neither of them noticed or cared. Rainey clung to him and gave him everything, her head thrown back and eyes clenched against the almost painful pleasure of her sensitivity. Javier began thrusting and it was all she could do to remember there were other people in this building as she cried out, pulling Javier’s hair in what had to be a painful grip.

It drove Javier over the edge, and he was barely able to pull out before spilling his seed in the water. Heavy breathing was the one of the few sounds in the room, along with the  _drip drip_ of water that had escaped onto the floor. They held each other close, tangled in one another, and Rainey pretended this moment was as beautiful as it felt. Pretended that there was a chance for a future together.

Javier pressed his lips to her neck and tried to stroke her to her own completion, but her nerves were on fire and at his touch Rainey whimpered and shied away from him. “Stop, stop,” she breathed, and Javier cupped her face instead as a look of concern softened his features.

“Are you okay, Rainey?”

Sadness choked in Rainey’s chest at his tenderness, but she gave a sheepish smile and kissed his shoulder so she didn’t have to look him in the eyes. “It feels so good it almost hurts. I think I just need a break. And food.”

Javier gave a rich laugh that danced along her skin and kissed her temple. Rainey stood from the cooling water and grabbed a towel as she stepped out, drying and dressing herself while Javier finished his bath. The shirt he had brought for her was another one of his own, and Rainey smiled as she slipped it over her head. It was a faded red and a better fit than the last, smelling of dry earth and the faintest whiff of spice.

“Beautiful,” Javier commented, wringing out his hair and stepping from the tub himself. “That is the one you can keep. Red is your color.”

Heat burned in Rainey’s cheeks as she smoothed down the material. It was still big on her small frame, but she noted how much smaller it was than Javier now. She wondered how old it was but didn’t ask, at a loss for words as all her pent up emotions rushed to the surface of her thoughts once again.

“ _Qué pasa_?” Javier asked, standing in front of her with a towel wrapped around his waist. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “You got that serious look again.”

“Nothing,” Rainey responded, forcing a weak smile. Stuffing her feelings down deep she kissed his lips and gave a solid smack to his butt. “I’m gonna go get us some food.”

Rainey fled the room before he could respond, slipping out of the baths and escaping into the hallway as her eyes began to burn. Resting her back against the wall she breathed deep, admonishing herself for acting like such a little girl. Having these kinds of feelings were dangerous, and yet there was no way she could stay away from him if she tried. He was magnetic and charming and for some reason interested in  _her_ of all women.

No, Rainey couldn’t resist him. She didn’t even want to. No matter what kind of doom awaited Rainey wasn’t willing to let him go until she had to. Whatever Javier’s own feelings were she wasn’t certain, but she planned to ride this out until the bitter end, her practicality be damned. She was in too deep anyway, and it was a quicksand she would happily drown in if it meant being close to the man who stole her heart.

There was no use crying over the inevitable.

Rainey shoved herself off the wall feeling much more calm and detached as she descended the stairs to fetch some sustenance. As she spied the same hateful man who had been rude to Javier when they arrived she was struck with inspiration as the old man’s scrutiny fell upon her as he passed his silent judgments.

A little challenge to chase away her melancholy was just what Rainey needed.


	15. Quince

Javier didn’t question Rainey when she requested they leave. Wariness cast a shadow on his face once the fleeting surprise had vanished. It was not quite late afternoon, and they had the room for the night if they wanted. He just gave a short nod and finished his meal. A dispassionate mask glazed his features. As bad as Rainey felt about not telling him the reason she just didn’t want to ruin the surprise.

Giddiness fueled by the adrenaline that still coursed through her veins had her tapping her fingers eagerly on the table. Robbing a racist had done wonders for her disjointed mood.

“I just want to set up my own space is all. I can get a tent up before it’s too dark if we hit the general store now and leave.” A half-truth would do for now, Rainey reckoned.

“Ay  _chica_ ,  _es no problemo_.”

“Good,” Rainey said, standing and shouldering her satchel. When Javier stood she took a chance and wrapped her arms around his middle. “‘Cause I was gonna offer to share…” Rainey smirked. “Unless you wanna keep rubbin’ elbows with Bill and Micah.”

“Tempting,” Javier joked, loosening his rigid posture. He bent his head to kiss the corner of her jaw. “I thought you wanted to get away from camp.” Even Javier’s still-damp hair seemed to conspire to change her mind as it fell forward and caressed her cheek.

“I did, and I have. That wasn’t my main reason for comin’ to town.”

Javier’s brows quirked. “Which was…?”

Rainey gave him a lingering kiss and smiled against his lips. “Come on  _papi_ , we both know why I’m here.” She pulled away to look into his eyes, her heart beating heavy at the smug satisfaction she had created. Javier knew  _exactly_ why before he even asked, Rainey knew, but she was willing to stroke his ego by voicing it after the magnificent day he had given her and for cutting their private time short.

“ _Me encanta saber que estás conmigo._ ”

Rainey cocked her head to the side, but Javier just smirked and led the way downstairs. Which was fine by Rainey, because she enjoyed the exaggerated manner in which Javier strutted and the way it showcased his assets. The pull of his shirt and vest across his shoulders down the smooth line of his back, the tightness of his jeans and how they hugged his toned backside, even the tilt of his gun belt and the way it drew the eye to those narrow hips.

God, she had it bad. How was she ever going to survive this?

The sun was still bright in the sky as they stepped out onto the dirt road, and Rainey headed to the general store while Javier diverted to the gunsmith. Rainey met him back at Boaz with an armful of goods, including a fresh apple for the American Paint, who accepted her bribe to carry all the added weight.

“You’re spoiling my horse,” Javier admonished, taking Rainey’s hand and helping her swing atop Boaz in front of him. “He expects treats all the time now.”

Rainey patted Boaz between the ears. “Then give the boy treats, damn. Ain’t that right Boaz?” Javier huffed, but an arm pulled a little tighter around her waist.

“Get your own horse,  _chica_ ,” he teased.

“I will,” Rainey said, “but I won’t buy a horse if I don’t have to. I like to break ‘em. Just haven’t had the opportunity.”

The pair made it back to camp well before sunset, calling out to Lenny as they rode by to announce their return. Rainey surveyed camp as they unloaded Boaz, trying to find the best spot to set up. She settled on a place overlooking the lake and took her bundle of goods to the open patch of even ground. It was separated from the other tents and on a low hill, allowing for enough privacy to satisfy Rainey. If Javier was going to join her, she would need all the privacy she could get.

The thought made her chest flush.

A low whistle broke into her thoughts, and Rainey bent to grab for some supporting poles to hide the blush that had wormed its way up to her face. “Settlin’ in now, tent and everything?”

Sadie crouched next to her supplies and snooped through the contents. “You could help me out, you know,” Rainey suggested. Sadie stood with her arms akimbo and grinned, the points of her teeth flashing in the slowly diminishing sunlight.

“I could,” Sadie ventured, “but here comes Javier, and with that arrogant swagger too.”

Rainey snorted and decided to give Sadie the information she had not-so-subtly been fishing for. Sadie’s blonde eyebrows were raised and her dust-smudged face expectant. Though Sadie never made it a habit to gossip around camp, Rainey swore the woman was just as nosy as the rest of them.

“Good. Since he’ll prolly be sharin’ it with me he can help.”

Rainey smirked at the surprised drop of Sadie’s mouth. It was worth the second blush to see Sadie at a loss for a change, even at the expense of her own affairs. People would notice soon enough anyway. “Hey,  _muchacho_ , you gonna offer me some help?” Rainey asked as Javier crested the hill and examined her lack of progress.

“I came to enjoy the view,” Javier said devilishly, winking.

“Yeah, well enjoy it while you grab some of these poles, will ya?”

Javier made a saucy retort in Spanish, and Rainey didn’t need a translation to decipher it by the lewd suggestion of his tone. Sadie chose that moment to bow out of the conversation and return to camp.

Javier and Rainey were able to have the tent set up just as nightfall settled across camp, the moon reflecting bright off of the lake. It was a peaceful night, the breeze bringing in the scent of the water and cooling the muggy air. A small fire burned outside the tent, illuminating Javier as he meticulously cleaned his guns in the firelight. Rainey settled down next to him after finally putting everything in its place and nudged his arm.

“I got somethin’ for ya.” Javier watched her as she drug her satchel to her from inside the tent and pulled out an unopened glass bottle of clear liquid to present to him.

Javier accepted the bottle and turned it over in his hands, his lips pressing together as his thumb rubbed over the label. “Tequila － the good stuff, too.”

Rainey held her breath, unsure of what to make of his response. She chewed her bottom lip.

“Nabbed it from that asshole at the parlour house while he was gettin’ our food,” Rainey confessed, plucking at the sun-scorched grass. “I had to rearrange all the bottles after I took the tequila to hide the space before he returned. Heh, barely got back over the counter before a group of fellas came in.”

Rainey peeked up at Javier from beneath her lashes and almost stopped breathing altogether at the intent way he was looking at her, dissecting her － like he could see deep into her soul if he concentrated hard enough. The profile of his face was lit bright by the flames that glittered in those piercing coal eyes.  

“Oh!” Rainey said, snapping her fingers and reaching into her pants pocket to distract herself from her overwhelming feelings. She produced a money clip and tossed it to his lap. “Almost forgot that. Found that little bonus stashed up behind a couple dusty bottles of liquor.”

Javier placed the money clip and tequila to the side. Turning his body to lean over Rainey he framed her in his arms. “You robbed that  _puto_ for me?”

The words were a counterpoint to his cool expression, washing hot over her skin. Rainey gave an embarrassed smile, feeling suddenly shy about her actions. “I didn’t much care for the way he spoke to you.”

“Lots of  _pendejos_ speak to me that way,  _mi reina_ ,” Javier said, moving Rainey’s loose hair over her shoulder to brush his fingertips along her neck in thought.

Rainey shivered and moved in to the touch, catching his hand and kissing the fingers with a tenderness that seemed to captivate him and threaten to spill her innermost secret at the same time. A thumb drifted over her lips and she caught it with her teeth, licking the pad to distract from the heaviness of the moment. It did the trick, and Javier was flattening her down on the ground, his body hot and hard on top of her as he kissed her like a man possessed.

Rainey clutched his back and moaned into his mouth as he expressed his appreciation for her gift. Wetness pooled at her core with fervent desire.

“So you’ve moved on to ruttin’ out in the open now?”

A cold bucket of water could not have done a better job at dousing her lust than the sound of that scratchy voice, and Rainey pushed at Javier’s shoulders to get him to move. With a soft sigh he relented and cast a displeased narrowing of the eyes to Arthur as he sat back and grabbed for his tequila.

“You sure do know how to ruin a mood,  _amigo_ ,” Javier groused. He tugged the cork out of the bottle and wafted it under his nose before taking a drink.

“Yeah, thanks for that, Morgan,” Rainey agreed.

Arthur looked unapologetic as he crouched and picked up a stick to poke absently at the fire. Rainey had a suspicion Arthur was dragging out the silence to torment her and annoy Javier by the way the corner of his mouth tucked in like he was biting back a smile. Javier offered Rainey a drink of tequila, and after a quick sniff of the acrid liquid she took a heavy pull. It burned her throat, but a pleasant fire heated up in her chest in its wake.

“I came over to ask ya if you’d wanna help me with this bank robbery Bill ‘n Karen have been buggin’ me about.”

Rainey perked up and passed the bottle back to Javier. “Bank robbery, eh? What bank?”

“The one in Valentine.”

Rainey whistled. “I knew Bill wasn’t bright, but he really wants to go back to the town we just shot up? With all them lawmen prolly crawlin’ around?”

“I thought the same, but we ain’t goin’ right away. We’ll give the heat time to die down first. I got other things to do anyway.”

Fatigue laced his words, and Rainey wondered not for the first time if Dutch was pushing Arthur too hard. It was something she would never suggest aloud － Arthur’s pride would rail against the insinuation. The pale cast to his sunburned skin and the deepening bags beneath his faded eyes made Rainey feel a familial protectiveness wash over her. Doing a bank job with Bill and Karen in Valentine would not have been her first choice, but she wasn’t about to make Arthur pull off the heist with two of the most notorious camp drunks alone.

Someone needed to look out for Arthur if he wasn’t going to do it himself.

“Alright. I know you just wanna see if I still remember how to crack a safe anyway.”

Arthur smirked at Rainey and glanced at Javier, who had resumed cleaning his guns with a frown on his face. “Think you can occupy yourself in the meantime?”

Rainey leaned back on her hands and gave Javier a fond once-over before looking back at her mentor. Javier was too engrossed in his task to notice. “Yeah, I’ll manage.”

Arthur braced his hands on his knees and stood, his protesting joints popping at the motion. “Good. Can you get a horse before then? Saw some wild ones a few miles up north of here. Can’t be doublin’ up; we’ll need all the speed we can get.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Rainey replied with a wave. “I planned on it.”

Arthur nodded and ambled off, taking the charged atmosphere of before with him and leaving behind a low hanging cloud of responsibility. Such was always the way of Arthur; his work ethic was never lacking, and he always shouldered more than his fair share. It was only right for Rainey to ease the burden in what little ways she could.

“You really going back there?” Javier tried to sound casual, but an edge crept into the words. He held out his revolver to the light to inspect his work.

“Yep. Gonna shoot up the other half of the town while I’m at it. Maybe I’ll go for a matching set.” Rainey fingered the crusted over bullet graze on her cheek.

Javier rose to her bait and shot her an unamused glare, and she had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from smiling. Seeing him concerned about her well-being left a giddy flutter in her chest. It was dangerous to hope he felt the same connection to her as Rainey to him, but she wasn’t about to ask. Instead she scooted next to him and worked the tequila bottle from where it was wedged between his crossed legs.

“That’s  _my_ tequila,” Javier said, snatching the bottle tight before she could take it from his possession. His concern had morphed into a stern affection that sapped the air from her lungs. “A beautiful queen gave it to me as a gift, and I don’t think I want to share anymore.”

“Fair enough,” Rainey said with a dry swallow, her first sip of tequila still hot on her tongue. “Can’t be gettin’ in the way of a queen tryin’ to court a king.”

Energy crackled in the air between them － an electric feeling that was unlike any other rush Rainey had experienced. Their gazes were locked, and Rainey wondered if he could see into her soul and read just how hard she had fallen for him.

“ _Me tienes, reina hermosa. Desde ese primer momento_.”

Javier was going to say more, but Dutch hollered his name and Javier’s mouth snapped shut. Rainey gritted her teeth and bit back a growl of irritation at the second interruption of the night. Apparently setting up a tent at the fringes of camp afforded no more privacy than being crammed up with all the others.

For the first time Rainey thought she had seen a glimpse of Javier’s emotions, buried in a language she was slowly starting to grasp. Some words sounded similar enough to translate. Others were just a matter of patterns and knowing the right word to start with. Javier had a habit of hiding behind those words, Rainey noticed, slipping into his native tongue when he didn’t want her to know his thoughts.

Learning Spanish was the key to cracking the code to Javier’s heart to see if there was even a small place for her in it. Just the possibility made Rainey want ignore the pitfalls of their union and throw caution to the wind.

“Come with me,” Javier said as he stood up, grabbing the money clip and liquor and motioning for her to take his free hand. Rainey allowed him to pull her to her feet. “Maybe I’ll share my tequila with you after all. After I talk to Dutch I might even play some music too.”

Rainey grinned in response and followed him down to camp, parting ways with him so she could chat with Sadie while he was occupied with Dutch. The thought of Javier’s impassioned voice singing for her made the blood run hotter in her veins.

This man was going to be the death of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I decided to do a sequel of sorts to this story, and because I have an unquenchable thirst for Javier I already began posting it. For anyone interested it's called Desierto del Corazón, and since this story is on-going it can be read in a flash-forward sort of context. I'm splitting my time between the two stories, but hopefully I'll be able to post an update a week on at least one of them. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	16. Dieciséis

The next morning brought with it the dense fog of a night spent drinking.

Rainey began to stir and Javier’s arms cinched around her waist from behind, his erect cock sliding between her bare thighs. Cool air pebbled her exposed upper half in goosebumps, and she brought an arm tight to her chest seeking warmth. Rainey gave a faint groan without even opening her eyes, though she pushed herself back against his chest despite her protesting head and tight muscles.

“M’sore,” Rainey mumbled, reaching behind her to rub the back of his thigh.

Soft kisses fluttered below the hairline of her exposed neck and turned into nibbles as she squirmed. His cock brushed along her slit with agonizing slow insistence. Every rub of his shaft sent tiny shocks of euphoria through her belly. Rainey clamped her thighs to give him more resistance to thrust into.

“Mmmm… I can finish just like this,” he replied in a gravelly voice that went straight to her core. He sucked hard at the juncture of her neck, and Rainey thought with amusement he purposefully put it where it couldn’t be hidden. The thought aroused her, and she moaned again as he brushed against her swelling clitoris.

Rainey guided his hand to her center, begging him silently for his touch. Javier draped her leg over his thigh to open her up and strummed her core, humming approval at her growing slickness. “I thought you were sore,  _mi reina_?” he taunted, tracing a finger down to her entrance, circling around it but never breaching.

“I am,” she whined, but oh she wanted him now and he knew it as he teased her with his fingertips. Rainey used a hand to guide his erection to line his tip into position. “Just go slow,  _por favor_ , Javi.”

“I will take good care of you,  _mi reina_ ,” he assured her as he seated himself inch by inch inside of her, pressing a hand to her belly to keep her steady on her side. “ _Mi tesoro_ ,” he breathed, stilling for a beat and breathing deep into her hair.

Rainey’s body throbbed in tandem with his, reveling in the sweet moment of stillness they were caught in. Birds trilling the morning outside and the faint splashing of water in the lake were the only sounds other than their panting breaths.

Slowly Javier began to pump in and out of her, rocking his hips with an unhurried languid grace. The gentle thrusts coupled with the adoring kisses he lavished on her back lit her nerves aflame, melting her resolve little by little until she was a panting mess in his arms.

Behind her Javier huffed his pleasure in her ear, cursing as he trembled to remain controlled. Rainey felt herself throbbing, her feeble  pains forgotten in the haze of pleasure that had clouded her every thought. She moaned a little too loud as she snapped her hips back to meet his thrust, impatient with the speed. Her insistence sped up his movements and gave Rainey more of the friction she sought.

“ _Mi reina quiere más_?”

“Yes, yes,  _por favor papi_ ,” she whispered like a mantra as his thrusts became harder, more erratic, and when he flipped her to her belly and on her knees so he could mount her fully she fisted her hands in the blanket and buried her face into the pillow to cry out.

“Fuck,” Javier groaned, sinking in deep and hard, the slapping of flesh unmistakable as he took her with the vigor of a man possessed.

This new position hit a place inside Rainey that blotted out all existence but the feeling at her center － a blinding, consuming ecstasy that tipped her into the hardest orgasm she’d had yet, carrying Javier over the edge with her with a stifled groan as her walls milked his shaft and coaxed him to come deep inside of her.

“ _Mierda_ ,” Javier panted, pulling out late and collapsing on her back where she had melted into their combined bedrolls. Wetness spread against her thighs and backside from his release, but she didn’t even care. His warm weight was comforting, even if it squished her breasts against the unyielding ground. Her heart still pounded in her ears, but the fog from her hangover had receded and her head felt clear.

“So much for slow,” Rainey chuckled hoarsely, turning her face to the side so she could catch a breath through the tangled mass of her hair.

Javier brushed some of the dark strands back and lifted his head from between her shoulder blades. “Did I hurt you?”

Rainey wriggled beneath him until she could turn over to look at him. Dark eyes searched for any signs of pain or discomfort in her expression, and Rainey pulled him down to her to kiss his frowning lips. “No,” Rainey replied, massaging her hands into his thick hair. She gave a wry smile. “Might be a little sore later, but I did ask for it.”

Javier smirked and gave her a final kiss before getting up to dress. “ _Sí_. You begged  _papi_ so sweet for someone who said they wasn’t calling me that.”

Rainey gave a devious smile and forced herself from beneath the blankets, grabbing a cloth to clean herself up with. “Maybe sometimes is okay.” Once she had dressed herself Rainey appreciated the handsome figure Javier cut in his vest and slacks as he fastened his gun belt. “What is it with these families Dutch is having everyone check out again?”

“Old money,  _chica._ ” Javier donned his bowler and opened the flap to their tent, holding it as Rainey followed him out. “Reckons there’s enough of us to play both sides in this family feud to get it if we’re careful.”

“Sounds risky,” Rainey observed, snatching an empty bucket to fetch some fresh water for the coffee pot as they walked by the end of the ladies’ wagon. Other than Miss Grimshaw only Sadie was awake and pulling on her boots.

Javier stopped walking and shrugged. “We need the money. Dutch will have a plan. If he thinks we can pull it off, we can pull it off.”

Rainey nodded in the face of his conviction and chose not to ruin the morning by being contrary. “Just watch your back,  _muchacho._ Lots of prejudiced bastards in Lemoyne.”

Javier firmly cupped her rear to bring her chest to chest with him. “Don’t you worry for me, Rainey.  _Papi_ can take care of himself.”

Rainey traced the scarred line that cut across his throat. Javier flinched at the contact, the ghost of a memory haunting the motion. “I see that. Seen all of ‘em. Just remember that next time you scold me for being reckless.” Rainey allowed herself to taste his lips one last time before he headed out, maybe allowing Javier to deepen it more than was appropriate because she couldn’t get enough of him.

“You already woke me up with your moanin’. Don’t make me have to watch too,” Sadie interrupted as she headed toward the cookfire.

Rainey hid her face in Javier’s chest because she knew she’d be red, but that didn’t stop her telling grin. It was hard to feel too embarrassed when she had enjoyed herself so much.

“But we’d put on such a good show  _Señora_ ,” Javier quipped, prompting Rainey to slap his arm. Sadie just shook her head and kept walking as she grumbled to herself.

“We’ll be puttin’ on zero shows for anyone  _Señor_ Escuella. I gotta go make this coffee.”

 

✭✭✭

 

For the next two days half the camp was out on Dutch’s orders. Rainey had been relegated to laundry duty, and Miss Grimshaw was spending too much time criticizing her every move. Whatever her task there was always a flaw to her methods. If Rainey hadn’t swore in the beginning to Arthur she would be on her best behavior then one Miss Grimshaw would surely have been on the receiving end of her temper. As it was she tried to let the nagging fall on deaf ears.

Being strapped at camp was wearing on Rainey’s already glum mood. Without a horse to get to the wild ones there was nothing else she could do but wait for Javier or Arthur to give her a ride. Maybe even Charles. It was starting to look tempting just to walk it.

Just as Rainey shook her pruny hands mostly dry after she pulled them out of the tub of wash water Charles appeared in camp. Before Rainey could even think about asking him for a ride the big man was striding over to talk to her. In his hand he held a bow that looked comically small in his grip. Rainey was perplexed when he held it out to her.

“An apology,” he explained as Rainey took the weapon and examined it with her fingertips. The limbs were expertly hand-carved, and when she tested the string she was able to pull it back with ease. “For having fun at your expense when we were hunting.”

“You didn’t have to,” Rainey replied with a startled laugh.

“Sure,” Charles said with a shrug, “but it wasn’t a problem. You said you were interested in learning.”

Rainey squeezed his forearm and gave him a bright smile. The kindness lifted her mood, and serendipitously Rainey caught sight of Javier riding into camp. The smile on her face widened further. She flicked her eyes back to Charles. “Thank you for this. I’ll have to craft some arrows so I can practice.”

“There are some good trees for arrows in a thicket over that way.” Charles indicated with a finger a small grouping of trees just within eyesight across the lake.

“I'll keep that in mind. I wasn’t  _that_ offended, y’know. At least not at you. Sadie is the one who drives me crazy.”

Charles laughed as he walked off, perhaps sensing Rainey’s eagerness to see Javier. It had been hard not to blatantly stare over Charles’s shoulder while talking to him, especially when she noticed the thunderous twist to Javier’s features and the way the frown line between his brows carved deep into face.

Rainey hated seeing Javier in this kind of black mood. His movements were jerky and rough as he unstrapped a saddlebag. Determined to cheer Javier up somehow she joined him next to Boaz and tried to calm the irritated horse by stroking his neck. Javier did not relax in the slightest at her presence. If anything he seemed more agitated when his darkened eyes glared askance at her.

Rainey was incredulous at this response, her mouth hanging open slightly as she tried to figure out how in less than five minutes she had managed to piss him off. “ _Qué pasa_? I been lookin’ forward to you comin’ back.”

“Not now,” Javier warned, slinging his bag over one shoulder and stalking across camp. To his old tent.  

Rainey’s shoulders drooped and sank beneath the weight of disappointment. She must have looked like a fish gaping after him, new bow still loosely clasped in her right hand. Rainey looked down at it and huffed. Of course Javier had ridden into camp the exact time she’d had the  _one_ conversation with Charles in the last two days. It was doubtful that was the sole reason for his anger, but Rainey was sure it hadn't helped.

As she walked to her tent to drop off her new weapon, annoyance mounting, Miss Grimshaw intercepted her. The older woman’s face was drawn and dark beneath her sloppy layer of makeup. Apparently there were bees in more than one bonnet.

“Girl are you lazin’ about again?” she demanded. Rainey jerked her head back, bristling at the accusation. “I thought I told you to get that laundry done?”

“I’ll get back to it once I drop this off at my tent.”

“Think you’re above doin’ your part around here,” Miss Grimshaw continued. It was safe to say the two had never gotten on with Rainey’s general disdain for authority and Grimshaw’s need for order. “You start sleepin’ around, and now you’re all high an’ mighty an’ too good for the rest of us.”

Deadly silence followed her words, and Rainey gripped the bow so tight she thought she might snap the wood. When was the last time Miss Grimshaw donated anything of note to the coffers behind Dutch’s tent? Still sore from Javier’s rebuff Rainey let her the biting words on her tongue fly. “Do the laundry your damn self you painted fuckin’ hag.”

Rainey tried to walk away, fury coloring her cheeks a deep rogue, but from the corner of her eye she saw Miss Grimshaw’s hand swing toward her in an audacious arch. Rainey dropped the bow to catch her wrist, fingers digging into the flesh hard enough to make the older woman cry out. Rainey bared her teeth and pulled Miss Grimshaw close as she tried to reign in the numbing anger that rushed in her ears.

“I know you ain’t about to lay hands on me, woman,” Rainey rasped, grinding the small bones of Grimshaw’s wrist in her grip. Miss Grimshaw’s face contorted into a mix of rage and fear, scrunched and ugly as her other hand tried to claw out of Rainey’s grasp. The fresh scratches on Rainey’s arm didn’t phase her, however, and she pulled Miss Grimshaw so close their noses were almost touching.

“Dutch is gonna hear about this,” Miss Grimshaw threatened.

“Tell him.” Rainey’s words were low and venomous. “In the meantime you best stay the hell away from me.” Rainey shoved the woman away and bent to retrieve her bow before stalking off to her tent.

It was lucky for Miss Grimshaw Charles had gifted her that bow, otherwise Rainey might have pulled a knife on her if it weren’t for her occupied hand. A nasty urge to break or stab something was bubbling in her gut, and she paced around the small space with erratic steps to quell the negative energy. This day was not what she had hoped for.

Javier’s return had given her aspirations for exploring more of their newfound relationship, maybe even riding out together again if only to wrangle a horse of her own. In her private thoughts Rainey had even fantasized about what new kinds of joys they would explore together. Now all those beautifully romantic notions turned to ash, and Rainey should have known better.

Romance was a ridiculous notion; sugar-coated daydreams that would eventually wash away and leave the bitter taste of reality. It was something not meant for the likes of pragmatists such as Rainey.

The urge to  _do_ something filled her with a need for work, and right now she needed a horse. Determination steeled her spine as she descended into camp and purposefully strode along the back of the tents to where she assumed Javier was lurking. Just as she expected he was glaring out over the lake and puffing away on a cigarette.

“ _Uno momento_ ,  _por favor_ Javier,” Rainey said, crossing her arms as if to shield herself from a negative response.

“What?” he snapped, not even bothering to turn around. Rainey clenched her teeth, her eyes narrowing to slits.

“I know you're in a bad mood and all, but I don't know why you're takin’ it out on me. If you want time alone, fine, but I was kinda hopin’ to get me a horse today. If I can borrow Boaz…”

It turned out that this was the wrong thing to say. Javier whirled around and got in her face, baring his teeth like a wild animal. “Why don't you go ask Charles, eh? Did you even wait until I was out of sight to go to him?”

Rainey snorted, uncaring that this seemed to incense Javier further. Jealousy, just like she suspected. “This argument is gettin’ tired, Javi. You want me to go ask Charles? _B_ _ueno_.” Rainey threw her hands up and started walking to where she had seen him sharpening a knife at the poker table.

“ _No me jodas con esto_!” Javier growled at her back. “ _Te arrepentirás_.”

Rainey ignored him and kept going, curling her hands into fists at her side. Javier couldn't say she didn't try. Charles looked up as she approached him, no doubt reading her hostile body language as he frowned up at her.

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah,” Rainey lied. She exhaled deep to force some of the tension from her stance. “Listen, I gotta get outta here. I gotta work on gettin’ a horse anyway. Can I borrow Taima for a bit, or have you give me a ride out to where Arthur said he saw a herd?”

Charles chewed on the request, subtly glancing from the direction she had come from. Rainey noticed and grimaced.

“He’s… being an ass. I ain't got time for it.”

“Best if you just borrow Taima then. Just uh… don't let her get shot.” Rainey scowled deep but allowed Charles his teasing. He was doing her a favor after all.

“I owe you one,” Rainey said as he joined her to make sure Taima was amenable. “I'll be good to your girl, I promise. Ain't that right, Taima?”

Rainey stroked Taima’s nose and dug around in her bag for a sugar cube. She had restocked at the general store (mostly for Boaz, she thought sourly) and found one easily. Taima gobbled it up and appeared to have no problem when Rainey pulled herself into the saddle instead of Charles.

Charles bowed his head close to Taima’s and murmured to her before squinting up at Rainey. “She should follow along without any problems once you have your own horse. Be careful out there.”

“I will, don't you worry. It's only a few miles north of here. Shouldn't take too long.”

Charles patted Taima’s rump as Rainey spurred her to the trail, catching a glimpse of Javier glaring at them across camp. If he wanted to waste their precious time on being petty and jealous that was his prerogative. Rainey was over being accused of interest in other men when the only man her heart ever beat for was Javier.

Let him stew, Rainey thought as she sped Taima into a gallop, focusing on the wind on her face and leaving all her troubles behind.


	17. Diecisiete

He was the definition of wild, standing unafraid and alone as he grazed at the tall grass. A coat black as night covered a wiry frame built for running; scrappy, but fast. The other horses skirted around him, and for good reason － the foul-tempered beast snapped at the last one of his brethren to sidle too close, stamping a warning with his hooves into the earth.

The Standardbred was perfect. A kindred spirit certainly befitting of her current frame of mind.

Rainey had been watching him for the last hour, crouched behind tall foliage slathered in cover scent for good measure. Horses were too smart to be fooled by such a trick for long, but this was a challenge that required all advantages she could get.

For the fourth time Rainey closed the gap between them by a couple of feet, mindful of every step she took to make as little disturbance as possible. It hardly mattered; the intelligent beast knew she was there and almost dared her to approach with a throw of his head. A wild knotted mane thrashed with the motion and flagged his taunt through the air.

Inhale. Exhale. Rainey moved, keeping low, every inch a victory even as heavy snorts shot through the scarred nose of the Standardbred. “Come on, Boy. Easy now. I’ll take good care of you.”

Rainey continued to coo platitudes, reaching very slow into her pocket for the sugarcubes she had stuffed there. Palming one she stopped, eyeing the horse as he reared and backed away. “Now, now, you feisty thing. I got a treat for you. Just let me get close.”

It was a dance between them － a battle of wills － but after several minutes of advancing a few feet just to have him retreat Rainey was able to get within arms reach. An insect buzzed with annoying insistence at her ear, but she feared to wave it away lest she startle him. There were heavy breaths and a tense thread of wariness between them, but Rainey refused to back down.

 _Eres terca_ , Javier’s voice floated in her mind, but she shut it out. Now was not the time to be distracted. Instead Rainey took the time to examine the Standardbred.

This close Rainey could see the scars wilderness had wrought on the creature, and it was no wonder he preferred his own company. A nasty set of healed claw marks marred his hindquarters and another poorly healed wound on his chest blemished the slide of muscles under that gorgeous black coat. The only speck of color on him that wasn’t black was a bit of white licking up his legs from the top of his hooves.

“You want it?” Rainey opened her palm and carefully presented her sweet little gift, extending her arm with slow and deliberate movements. The horse huffed and lowered his head, a tongue darting out to lap up the treat. Victory warmed her belly and soothed some of the tension she had been holding in her lungs.

In the next instant Rainey had to bite her tongue until she tasted blood to keep from wailing as the monster extended his neck and bit the fleshy part of her hand with his blunt teeth. Screaming her hurt would only spook him further, and she refused to give up until she had him. Blood welled to the surface of the indents left behind from the bite, and her eyes watered as Rainey held her throbbing hand close to her chest.

The horse gave an impudent whicker from where he had pranced a few feet away. If horses laughed Rainey was sure this one was doing so. It made her desire to break him stronger, though her hand was beginning to swell and throb.

It took another thirty minutes before Rainey could get close to him again. Taima watched on at a distance, munching at the dry grass as if it were popcorn and they were the main attraction. Sweat trickled down Rainey’s back as the sun burned hot and high in the sky. “Don’t fight me you wily bastard.” Inching forward she aimed to place her good hand at the base of his neck (well away from the unpredictable danger of his teeth.)

They both froze; the horse’s muscles bunched beneath her palm and Rainey holding her breath as they took stock of one another. An understanding seemed to pass between them as she stared tenaciously into his large brown eyes. Rainey would not back down. Neither would he. They were meant for each other, and now Rainey was about to prove it.

Ignoring the pain that spiked up her arm from her hand she swung herself to his back, gripping her fingers tight to his coarse mane and clamping her thighs as he started to buck before she was even seated. Teeth clacked together in her mouth as he fought her tooth and nail, bolting forward just to change direction in a sudden lurch in an attempt to fling Rainey from his back.

Hanging on with all she had Rainey was exhausted by the time the Standardbred wore himself down. Even after he had been broken the steed challenged her every direction, his spirit far from quelled. By the time she was able to make it back to camp she felt like she had been ran over by a loaded wagon. Charles greeted her to take charge of Taima, who had obediently followed behind just like Charles said she would.

“I was starting to get worried,” Charles admitted as he examined her acquisition. The look on his face read as skeptical, but Rainey didn’t care. Scorpio, as she had named him, and her were going to get along just fine. It would just be a lot of work.

“This one was stubborn,” Rainey said, dismounting, careful not to use her injured hand. “Fucker bit me and gave me a run for my money, but there’s something about him.”

“Resilience,” Charles offered. When his eyes landed on her masticated hand he frowned. “You should have Swanson take a look at that.”

“I’ll take care of it.” Rainey turned as Kieran timidly approached them from where he had been grooming the other horses clumped around bales of hay. “Don’t －” she warned as he started to touch the horse’s rump near his scars, sensing the disturbance in Scorpio’s stance. Kieran pulled back his hand like he’d been burned.

“I-I’m s-sorry, Miss,” Kieran demurred, hanging his head and backing away. Kieran reminded Rainey of a beat dog, especially since she’d seen how soft the man really was. A gentle soul unsuited to an outlaw’s life but forced to it nonetheless.

“Don’t ‘Miss’ me.” Rainey waved her good hand. Kieran seemed to wilt even further. “I ain’t that fancy. Just don’t want you to get bit is all. This one’s meaner than a snake and crafty as hell. Best leave him to me.” She held up her darkening hand as an example.

Surprise colored his scraggly face. It did not shock Rainey, who had seen how the other members of camp spoke down to him. “Y-yes Miss! I-I mean… I’m sorry. I－”

“Rainey,” she supplied helpfully with an awkward smile. Being personable was never Rainey’s strength, but she tried. “I gotta get this beast corralled so he don’t run off on me.” Rainey turned to Charles and nodded. “Thanks again.”

After her horse was secured and secluded Rainey went in search of alcohol to tend to her hand. Despite Charles’s suggestion she would not be going to Reverend Swanson for care. The man was delusional at the best of times, and the bite wasn’t so bad a little alcohol and clean bandages couldn’t cure it. The swelling would go down with the help of some herbs.

Rainey was just relieved it wasn’t her dominant hand.

Javier was seated by the campfire with a bottle of whiskey. From how bloodshot the whites of his eyes were Rainey figured he had been at it a while. Convenient, she thought as she changed her direction straight for him. As she approached he gave a sullen glare, even more so when she seated herself right next to him and snatched the bottle from his fingers. She was too tired and sore to give a damn.

Rainey helped herself to a large swig before holding her bloody hand out to dump some of the contents on the wound. Drops of amber liquid mixed with dirt at her feet. Cursing at the searing cleanse she shoved the bottle back at Javier. Javier scoffed at her injury and shook his head, but he unwound the green scarf from his neck and tossed it at her almost with annoyance.

“Thanks,” she muttered as she wrapped it about her hand. The concession was not lost on her; even though he got up and left her alone by the fire the gesture proved he still cared. Javier would not give up an item of his to be sullied by blood and whiskey for just anyone.

“Miss Bennett, there you are,” Hosea greeted as he helped himself to an empty chair across from her.

“Hosea,” she greeted as her eyes followed Javier’s path to the center of camp. Hosea smiled knowingly at her when she flicked her gaze back to him. Javier had left her with the whiskey, and she took another drink smother the uneasy feeling of being caught.

There hadn’t been many occasions since she joined the gang for her to converse with the man. In her younger years she had warmed up to Hosea’s easy manner even though she disliked Dutch. Arthur had always spoken so highly of Hosea, and from what few conversations they’d had in the past Rainey liked him well enough too. “Susan was quite beside herself earlier when she spoke to me.”

“I bet,” Rainey scoffed. She didn’t have the energy to bother defending herself.

“People misunderstand Miss Grimshaw at times,” he ventured, sucking his teeth while leaning back into his seat and stroking his chin. “She can be a mite enthusiastic in her duties. From a life used to dealin’ with a bunch of rowdy ne’er-do-wells, I'd imagine.”

“Ain’t nothin’ to misunderstand about a swift hand,” Rainey retorted. She looked up at the older man’s docile face with resolution. “I seen her use that kind of force on other women around here. I'll be damned if she hits me without a fight. It wasn't warranted.”

“You're right in that,” Hosea agreed. “I made her aware that you have not been stingy in your contributions either. You'll have to forgive her her misinformation. Susan is, as ever, a busy woman.”

It became clear then that this was some sort of parlay － a brokering of peace between stubborn parties. Hosea played the mediator. It was almost ridiculous, and now that her anger had simmered down the whole encounter seemed meaningless. Javier still wasn’t speaking to her, she had a horse to train and a bank job on the horizon.

“I’m over it,” Rainey replied. She fiddled with the ends of Javier’s scarf around her hand. The scent of him was on it, now laced with the coppery tang of blood. “No hard feelings.”

“Good, good,” he murmured. “I would hate for this incident to drive you away. Arthur may not have said it, but he’s glad to have you around. He was always fond of you － like I was always fond of him. It gives him comfort to know he can keep an eye on you.” As if in conspiracy Hosea leaned in toward her though a crackling fire lay between them. “Seems like Arthur ain’t the only one either.”

Rainey gave a soft laugh and finished off the whiskey. A pleasant buzz helped to drown out the pain to a dull throb. “I ain’t goin’ nowhere right yet, don’t worry.”

A comfortable silence overtook them, and after a few minutes of relaxing she decided her work for the day wasn’t done. Javier was still pissed, and Rainey was not about to let the day end without at least one real conversation. The drama was making her more tired than breaking Scorpio had.

Javier was seated with Micah of all people at the picnic table. Rainey wondered if he chose his companion specifically to deter her. She wouldn’t put it past him. In his hand he twirled a knife with dextrous fingers, and the movements charmed her closer despite Micah’s amused sneer when he saw her approach behind Javier.

Before Javier had a chance to react Rainey seated herself up against him on the bench and draped her left leg over his right for good measure. Rainey expected he would either shove her away and leave or stake a claim because Micah was watching like a hawk for anything he could use to get under someone’s skin. Javier kept his cool in the face of her impudence.

“Never really seen you handle your knife,” Rainey said, pleased when he wrapped his arm around her even when the sharp knife in his hand settled against her throat. Javier would not cut her. Rainey even raised her chin a little to expose more of the soft skin to his blade. Their eyes were locked, and Rainey was sure to Micah it must look like a lover’s embrace of sorts even though Javier still had not spoken to her.

Micah chuckled and waved his own knife in one hand while he swigged from a grimy bottle with the other. “Lucky you then,” he said, gesturing to Rainey with the bottle neck. “‘Cause I was about to teach our little greaser friend here a thing or two about handling a knife.”

The arm around her tensed. Rainey knew Javier hated that word － hated the implications. He never said as much, but it was an affront to the core parts of his personality. Javier kept himself well maintained and clean; much cleaner, in fact, than most men who dared look down on him. Certainly cleaner than Micah Bell, whose own sour odor wafted across the table with every lick of breeze.

Rainey caressed Javier’s thigh with her injured hand in lieu of a squeeze and slid her leg from his lap to give him room. “Show me what you got then.”

“ _Tú ya sabes_ ,” Javier finally spoke, dropping his arm so he could adjust to lean over the table with his knife ready. The soft wood was already riddled with puncture marks from many a game of five finger fillet. “I handle my knife like  _manejo mi verga_ ,  _chica._ ”

Micah grunted in displeasure at Javier’s use of his native tongue. Rainey noted Micah’s annoyance and smiled up at Javier, emboldened by the liquor he had left her. She had a vague idea of what his response had been, but her Spanish was still a work in progress. Micah was a cultureless fool, however, so she decided it hardly mattered.

Rainey leaned in to speak low to Javier. “ _Micah es un hombre estúpido y no habla español. Hace… loco._ Racist  _bastardo_.”

Javier frowned down at her, but at her light squeeze to his arm he seemed to find the mischief in her eyes and realized what she was  trying to do. “ _Todavía estoy enojado contigo, mi reina_ ,” he responded, smirking across at Micah. With a showboating twirl Javier aimed the blade downward and awaited the word.

Rainey watched as they began, both equally matched in skill and competitiveness. Micah was prone to trash talk and insults, and every time Javier would respond in Spanish to ruffle the other man. The tactic appeared to work; Micah would grit his teeth and come back with a hateful remark aimed at his culture. Rainey admired Javier’s focus; it was easy to let your gaze stray, especially when inundated with drink. The trick was to remain numb to everything but the blade and your digits － a lesson that usually etched it's mark forever into your flesh when it went unheeded.

A lesson Rainey had learned many times over.

Micah came down with his knife a little too close to his thumb and nicked the thin webbing of skin above it. “Fuck!” Micah growled and tossed his knife on the table with a clatter. With a glare he gripped his bleeding hand into a fist and took a slug from his beer, some of the liquid escaping the corners of his mouth and into the handlebars of his mustache.

“Tough luck,  _amigo_ ,” Javier laughed.

“It ain’t happenin’ twice,” Micah assured him. “We’ll go again, but let’s make it interestin’. Unless you’re coward.”

Intrigued, Javier leaned forward. “What do you have in mind?”

Micah licked his lips in a greedy way that made Rainey press a little closer to Javier. She was by no means afraid of Micah, but it would be foolish to not be wary. No woman around camp had been safe from his lecherous advances. “I win, and I get a go with your scrawny little whore.”

Rainey’s eyes snapped to Javier, whose cool exterior was belied by the tense crows feet around his eyes. Flames were all but shooting from his gaze.

“This ‘scrawny little whore’ can speak for herself,” Rainey interjected, garnering attention from both men. Micah rolled his eyes and nodded sarcastically as he sipped his beer. “I’ll take your bet. If I win, not one more derogatory remark about race passes your wormy lips in camp.”

“ _Rainey_ ,” Javier growled, a hand clamping tight around her wrist.

“I got this,” she responded hotly, slipping the thin blade from her boot.

“Oh-ho-ho, things just got even better.” Micah looked at her in a way that made her want to stab his eyes out. “I’m gonna show you a real good time, Miss Bennett.”

“One problem, though,  _Mr. Bell_ ,” Rainey interrupted before he could go into graphic detail and further goad Javier, who was taut to snapping beside her. Rainey held up her bandaged left hand and gave a sheepish smile. “I’m still game if you allow a stand in.”

To demonstrate Rainey slid herself into Javier’s lap, blocking his view of Micah for the moment. Furious brown eyes drilled into her, but she buried her hand in his hair. “Trust me,  _papi_ ,” she whispered, her lips brushing the shell of his ear. With her good hand she guided his left to the table and splayed his fingers on the wood. When she pulled back his jaw was clenched, but he gave a terse nod.

Micah roared with laughter, tossing his empty beer bottle to the ground. “Oh I’ll allow  _that_!” Micah sniggered. “A fuck  _and_ I get to see the greaser bleed? Looks like I’m gettin’ the better end of this deal, sweetheart. You ain’t much of a gambler, are you?”

“Only when I got the upper hand,” Rainey replied, positioning herself more soundly on Javier’s legs. She glanced over her shoulder at him when she realized he was half-hard beneath her, but no emotion shown on his face. Rainey still smirked to herself and turned to focus her attention on the game.

As she stared down at Javier’s hand she blocked everything else out but those callused digits － tan, scarred and strong － capable of the greatest pleasures Rainey had ever known. Micah said the word, and she struck her knife nimbly into the wood, bouncing from the space between the thumb to the next. Javier remained rigid beneath her, but his hand didn’t so much as twitch.

Playing five finger fillet was like slipping on an old glove. Back when Rainey was greener it had been an easy way to make quick money for food. Arrogant men always assumed a gawky little thing like her didn’t have it in her to play with the boys and often bet against her. It made the take all the sweeter when she would win the pot all to herself.

The pace sped up as they guided their blades into a fevered rhythm. “Ain’t no shame in quittin’ now before you cut up your pretty little girlfriend,” Micah taunted. Rainey smirked at his weak attempt at distraction and refused to look up. So far she had only been matching Micah’s pace, but she sped it up now and forced Micah into silent concentration.

Beer and whatever other alcohol Micah had been drinking was taking its toll on him. With the new speed his accuracy was erratic, his blade sometimes biting a little too close to the base of his fingers. Rainey grinned wider at the uneven sound of his knife’s cadence. Unable to resist Rainey looked up, and the motion must have caught Micah’s attention because he met her gaze. Brazenly Rainey winked, and it caught Micah so off-guard he stabbed the knife down  _again_ on the webbing above his thumb.

Micah howled and stood up, jolting the picnic table so hard Rainey almost plunged her knife straight in the middle of Javier’s hand. Luckily he had jerked it away as soon as Micah had lost, shouting “ _Mierda_!” when Rainey’s knife buried itself deep into the wood. Rainey cackled as Micah held his bleeding hand to his chest, cursing her, Javier and whatever else was in his field of vision.

“Guess the only fuck you’re gettin’ tonight is yourself,  _cabrón_!” Rainey gloated.

“Cheatin’ fucking bitch.” Micah clutched his hand tight and disappeared toward his tent, leaving Rainey alone with Javier.

Javier pushed at her to get off his lap. When Rainey complied he rapped the top of the table with his knuckles and shook his head. It looked like he wanted to say so many things, his expression caught between glaring and exasperation. Rainey was still riding high on her victory, and she hadn’t come over here in the first place to pick a fight. Mostly she had missed their easy companionship.

“I know, I know, that was reckless,” Rainey sighed, picking at his scarf around her hand. “Couldn’t help myself. He’s a prick.” Swallowing, she steeled herself for more rejection and laid a hand on his arm. “Gonna tell me why you’re so pissed at me… again.”

“It started out as a bad day,” he answered after a brief silence. “When I came back and saw you smiling so pretty for Charles as he gave you a gift when you know how it would make my blood run hot, I was furious.” Just talking about it dredged up his previous anger, and his words became sharper. “Then you push me further by running to him for help.”

“The bow wasn’t a gift. It was an apology. He and Sadie were giving me a hard time while we went hunting. You know, the last time you became a jealous ass.” Javier gritted his teeth. “And if you recall you was the one who told me to go ask Charles. I  _tried_ to ask you for help.”

“You could have waited.”

“I got a bank job coming up, and I needed to get a horse trained and used to me  _now_ ,” Rainey argued, heat suffusing her cheeks. “I didn’t have time for you to get over a temper tantrum!”

Javier let out a frustrated huff and stood, smacking his hand on the table. “I know you don’t think so, Rainey, but men notice you.  _Charles_ notices you. Call it what you will, but a man makes a woman something by hand it’s called a gift. And maybe I don’t like another man giving  _my_ woman a gift, eh. Maybe－” Javier paused to drop a roll of bound leather on the table in front of her with a thunk. “－ maybe I wanted to be the one to put that smile on your face,  _chica._ ”

Javier stormed off, leaving Rainey confused and annoyed. So much for not turning things into an argument. Rainey rubbed the back of her neck and stared down at the dark brown pouch in front of her. When she unwrapped the leather binding and rolled it out her heart dropped to her stomach as she stared down at the gorgeous blades in front of her.

There were eight of them in all. Identical silver blades, slim like her others, shined in the dying light of the day. Etched on the hilt running onto the lower parts of the blades was a looping filigree wrapping around detailed little roses. After balancing one on an outstretched finger she found their balance and weight perfect － just to her taste. Rainey bit her lip and looked up for Javier, her throat closing tight, but he had disappeared. Suddenly his overreaction made sense even if Rainey still believed it unjustified.

Gathering the most beautiful gift she had ever been given Rainey trudged back to her tent, torn between elation and melancholy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No worries, less drama more action in the future. Hope y'all are still with me.


	18. Dieciocho

Dawn came too quickly for Rainey’s liking.

The humid Lemoyne air clung to her from a night of tossing and turning, leaving her skin feeling tacky and gross. Forcing herself up from the bedroll she gathered some fresh clothes and a bar of soap. Since she was already up she figured she might as well take advantage of a bath in the lake instead of having to trudge all the way to a more secluded stream. With so many people in and around camp it was hard to find a moment alone.

Rainey stripped at the shore and cloaked herself in water quickly just in case, savoring the chill and letting it rouse her to full wakefulness. The sun still had yet to do more than peek at the horizon, and Rainey scrubbed herself leisurely, unconcerned until she heard a splash just around the bend of the shore behind her. She froze mid-lather, submerging herself to her chin.

Hoping it was just a fish she edged around the bank, careful not to greatly disturb the water around her. From behind gnarled roots she glanced around the bend, noting the ripples in the lake were much larger than typical for a fish. A dark head broke the surface, and Rainey fought a snort of irony as she waded back out of sight to finish her bath before he noticed her.

Of  _course_ it was Javier. He was one of the only people Rainey knew in camp whose routine was insistent on an early rise. Subconsciously she might have counted on it, though Rainey had made a resolution to leave him be until he came to her. Sleep had evaded her the night before, leaving Rainey lying awake in the darkness and watching the tent flaps while replaying their conversation in her head.

 _My woman_ Javier had called her. Whatever doubts she may have had about their relationship had been eviscerated by those words and the vehemence in his conviction. There had been more than just a territorial claim present, more than the decadent attraction that gravitated them to each other. It was the closest Rainey had ever seen of his deeper emotions, bottled up as they were behind an often severe or impassive countenance, and they were because of her.

Rainey had her hands buried deep in her hair to scrub soap into her scalp when Javier swam into view a few feet away from her seclusion. The man had been so quiet about it he could nearly have touched her before she noticed if she hadn’t seen him from the corner of her eye. Rainey paused, locking gazes with him when he stopped to tread water in surprise. His focus zeroed in on her exposed chest, his expression a mix of lust and traces of irritation.

“Morning,” Rainey said carefully, feeling somehow more exposed under his scrutiny even though she was already nude.

“Bold of you to bathe in plain sight,” Javier observed, drifting closer. Rainey dug her toes into the silt beneath her feet and continued to wash her hair. There was no telling what mood he could possibly be in.

“Figured no  _idiota_ would be up this early,” Rainey quipped in return, turning her back to him to relieve herself of that burning gaze. She could feel her body reacting, readying itself for his touch. Chill hands cupped her breasts and earned a startled yelp. “You got a lotta nerve,” Rainey hissed, turning to splash Javier.

Rather than be bothered Javier affected an innocent look of surprise, but that predatory gleam gave him away. Water dripped down his face. “I was shielding you,  _mi reina_ , so you could wash your hair.” Rainey rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t stop the smile from twitching at her lips.

Damn him.

“Likely.”

Javier moved in again knowing he had won. This time Rainey let him pull her close and turn her around so he could rinse her hair. When the soap was rinsed away in drifting suds Javier just held her, his lips skimming her neck. His breaths tickled her slicked skin and sent a shiver down her spine. Rainey had missed this so much, just being near him, doubly so when she knew he was in camp and was refusing to come to her.

“The knives are beautiful,” Rainey commented, bringing her arms up to hug his own closer to her. “Thank you.” She let out a heavy sigh, preparing to possibly ruin the tranquility. “Are we good, Javier? ‘Cause you’re driving me  _loco_.”

Javier chuckled and pulled her closer, his hardness nestling itself against the curve of her bottom. “Is that so?”

Rainey turned in his arms and tried to ignore the soft grunt that came from him as his cock rubbed against the hair at the juncture of her legs. “Tossed and turned all night waitin’ for you to show up,” she admitted, toying with a wet lock of his hair. “I don't like you bein’ angry with me for no reason.”

“No reason,” Javier echoed. “I had reasons, Rainey. And yesterday… Offering up your body in a bet? What would you have done if Micah had won? Would you have fucked that  _puto_?”

“No,” Rainey said, screwing up her face in pure disgust. Just having to see the man shirtless around camp made her stomach roil. “I knew I wasn't gonna lose. And I did it to shut him up! He ain't gonna hold his end of the bargain up either. I bet he doesn't make it ‘til the end of the day without spewing some nonsense about ‘darkie’ this or ‘greaser’ that.”

Javier grew serious, his lips a thin line amidst the shadow of hair darkening his face. “I don't care about Micah.”

Rainey stomach did a flip. Still, the urge to needle and drive her point home was too great. “And Charles? Arthur? Or Scorpio… that's my horse. He's a male too.”

Javier’s chagrined laughter was followed by Rainey being snatched up and drawn flush against him as he wrapped her legs around his waist, pinning his erection against his belly between them. “ _Estas jugando con fuego_   _y me quemo caliente, mi reina. Recuérdalo_.”

With a slight adjustment aided by the weightlessness of being in water Rainey was able to grind her apex against the underside of him. Javier groaned and dug his fingers with bruising force into her rear. It hurt, but the pressure only added to the maddening friction and turned that small discomfort into a dizzying stimulant. Even through the water Rainey could feel how ready for him she was.

“Don't do any good to reprimand me in Spanish.”

Javier bobbed Rainey’s weight along his shaft, dragging across her aching nub with each torturous stroke. “No reprimand. A warning.”

Rainey sighed, part pleasure and part dread. She put a stop to all movement and tried to see through the haze of lust trying to sweep her away. “Javier… I ain't the temptress you seem to think I am. I don't look at any other man that way.”

“Ah,  _mi reina_ , I don't think that,” Javier disagreed, cupping the back of her head. Around them the sky had lightened considerably, and Rainey knew soon others would start to wake up. “You're wild and free,  _chica_. Untameable and unaware of your own beauty. You know what that does to a man like me? Yet, I drive  _you_ crazy.”

All the air rushed out of her lungs.

Unable to form a coherent word Rainey surged to kiss him, relieved as he opened up to her affection and braced her tight to resume their lazy rutting, swallowing each other's moans. Rainey ached to have him inside her, but there was something more intimate about this slow-building peak. They were so lost in their ministrations that a crash followed by raised voices startled them out of their hypnosis.

Rainey jerked at the noise and broke their kiss. “Shit.” She glanced over her shoulder at the shore where her clothes awaited in a neat pile on top of a flat rock. Javier continued to kiss along her throat, nonplussed about being caught. Rainey groaned, partly at the magical pressure between her thighs and partly because she did not share his nonchalance. She pushed at his shoulders, earning a pout that would have been convincing had it not been for the devilish man wearing it.

“Go on,  _chica_ ,” Javier lamented, letting her drop her legs from his waist. Rainey whimpered at the loss of contact. “We’ll finish this later.”

“ _God_ , we better,” Rainey muttered.

The trudge from the water to her clothes made her aware of how turned on she was. Each step was like a throb to her core, and the cool breeze nipping at her damp skin did nothing to help. Javier had disappeared around the bend, and Rainey dressed quickly in hopes of catching up to him.

She was not above possibly dragging him out into the woods.

Unfortunately all hopes of a morning rendezvous with Javier were cut short when she entered camp. Scorpio had broken free of his tether － chewed through by the ragged look of the hanging ends － and was stomping around right over top of where Uncle had been passed out by the fire the night before. Uncle was complaining loudly and rubbing his arm where a wayward hoof had met its mark.

“Goddamnit!” Rainey cursed and approached Scorpio, glaring at the unruly Standardbred.

“This demon is yours?” Uncle asked in disbelief. What began as an injured arm was now migrating around to his lower back as he pressed the heel of a hand to the base of his spine. The old drunk even feigned a wince as he pointed a nubby finger at the horse. “It… it attacked me! Came right up an’ stomped right on me like I weren’t nothin’ but dirt.”

Rainey ignored him as he continued to whine. Her eyes were locked with Scorpio, who raised his head at her and snorted. “Easy now,” she said. “You’re a lotta trouble, you know that?”

A few minutes of cajoling later Rainey was able to snatch the tether and lead the stubborn horse back behind her tent. Scorpio fought her the entire way, jerking in opposite directions or just planting his feet in the dirt and refusing to move. At one point Scorpio dipped his head to get a mouthful of her loose hair. It was a wonder she hadn’t woken the entire camp with her irritated huffs and growls at the impertinent beast.

Rainey minded her fingers as she removed what was left of the tether and freed Scorpio from his bonds. Rainey half expected him to bolt. “You ain’t gonna like when I get you saddled,” Rainey muttered. With a steady hand she stroked his neck, patient when the horse swung his head around to nip at her jacket. “Stop that.”

“Got things under control?” Javier teased as he climbed to the top of the hill. Scorpio tensed at the new voice and shied backwards, ears flicking forward toward the sound.

“Stop walking, he’s gettin’ spooked,” Rainey ordered, holding out a hand to Javier. Javier crossed his arms and scowled, but he remained still. “You’ll just have to get used to him,” Rainey spoke quietly to Scorpio as she continued to rub his neck.

When Scorpio was calmed down Rainey produced a sugar cube from her bag. Javier shook his head and slowly approached while the horse was occupied. “Did you mean to pick the most temperamental one?”

“Huh,” Rainey pondered, looping a casual arm about his waist. “I was thinkin’ he kinda reminds me of you.” She kept a straight face until he narrowed his eyes at her. “I shoulda named him Javi.”

“You think you’re so funny,” Javier said with a bite of sarcasm. He snaked his arm around her shoulders and held up a horse brush he had brought. “I thought you could use this.”

Rainey kissed his freshly shaven cheek and accepted it, turning back to Scorpio to start work on his dusty coat. Javier walked around to look Scorpio in the eye. “ _Oye ese, sé bueno con mi reina. Carga preciosa._ ”

Scorpio nipped at him, blunt teeth gnashing in the air between them. Javier placed a hand between Scorpio’s eyes and admonished him in Spanish, unintimidated. “I was gonna run him today and take him to get saddled. You busy? I would love the company,” Rainey invited.

“Where at? Outside Emerald Ranch?” When Rainey nodded Javier grunted. “Ain’t that where you said that  _cabrón_ who sent those men after you worked?”

“...yeah...”

“I’ll meet you at the trail in a few minutes.”

Wrangling Scorpio bareback the short trip up toward Emerald Ranch was an undertaking that took twice as long as it should have. For the first few minutes the Standardbred behaved, even allowing Rainey to walk him through a creek to clean off some of the dried dirt from his hooves. Javier followed behind on Boaz, suspiciously quiet until Scorpio decided he’d had enough of Rainey’s direction and kicked his back hooves off the ground. Rainey went flying and landed with a heavy  _oomph_ in a patch of wild raspberries.

Laughter filled the air, though Rainey heard a dull thud and was greeted by the apologetic face of Javier as he bent over her a few seconds later. Air was steadily filling her lungs again, though the woody stems of the bush beneath her dug into her back.  “You okay?”

“Help me up.”

Javier easily hoisted Rainey to her feet, glaring at Scorpio even though his mouth kept trying to curve upward. Rainey winced as she bent to retrieve her hat. “You want to ride Boaz? I can fight this beast for you.”

Rainey glared at the suggestion as she jammed her hat on and tugged her shirt to rights. Giving up was not in her nature. Besides, Scorpio was  _her_ horse, and Javier could fuck right off if he thought he could a better job taming him. She shouldered past Javier and planted herself in front of Scorpio. “Listen here. I’m gonna get on, and you’re gonna let me stay on, got it?” Scorpio stared back at her as if to say  _try me._

No sooner than Rainey had swung herself to his back Scorpio bolted. If it weren’t for her hand being caught in the snarl of his mane that she clutched for dear life as she flattened to his back she would have lost all bearing at the suddenness. Rainey heard Javier shout behind her, but she couldn’t make out the words. Forcing her squeezing thighs to relax Rainey focused on the powerful flex of the muscles beneath her and the wind whipping her hair behind in a wild stream. Her hat had long since fled.

“Slow down, Scorpio.” The beating gallop drowned out her words, but Rainey spoke them anyway. “Ain’t nothing to be runnin’ from, boy. Easy.” With her good hand she smoothed strokes down the part of his neck she could reach without compromising her balance.

It took a litany of encouragements before Scorpio slowed to an easy trot. Rainey’s heart hammered in her chest. Twisting to look back Rainey could see Javier pushing Boaz to catch up to them. “I was worried you would fly off!” Javier exclaimed when he pulled even with Scorpio’s right flank.

“Me too,” Rainey said with a near hysterical laugh. The rush from the ride left her jittery. “He was testing me.”

Ahead the stables neared, and Javier rode up next to Rainey to drop her hat on her head. He smoothed her hair from her face and brushed her rosy cheeks with a thumb. “I got something to take care of. I will be back before you’re done.”

Rainey gripped his arm and shook her head. With the menacing gleam in his eye and him bringing up that bastard rancher before they left Rainey was able to put two and two together. “Javier…”

“ _Qué_?” Javier responded with a dangerous smile. “I’m only going to say hello.”

Before she could argue he spurred Boaz toward Emerald Ranch. There was nothing she could do other than follow her original plan.

As predicted, Scorpio was not agreeable to a saddle. Rainey had picked the lightest one in hopes it would suit the spirited steed, but even that was too constricting for Scorpio. The stable hands struggled to keep Scorpio calm as they outfitted him. Rainey offered to assist, but the prideful men had assured her they could handle it. Rainey held up her hands with an eye roll. It was their job, after all.

Rainey was leaning her shoulder against the outer wall of a stall watching them struggle when Javier sauntered in a while later and grabbed her from behind. “Thought you would be done by now,” he murmured into her ear. A sharp nip had her craning her neck to look at him. A line of crimson speckles arched a line across his cheek. Rainey wiped it away with a thumb, the smear on her fingers tell-tale of trouble. “We need to go,  _chica_.”

Scorpio swung his head around at one of the stable hands as he was cinching the straps around the horse’s middle. The man was just able to get it secured before he jumped out of the way of Scorpio’s bite.

“Finally,” Rainey muttered. She strode forward and shoved a handful of dollars into the hands of the stable master and grabbed Scorpio’s new reins. “Let's go, boy. Now I can give you a proper run.”

Scorpio fussed when Rainey swung into the saddle, but there was no time to handle him slow when Javier spurred off as soon as he was astride Boaz. Whatever happened must have drawn attention, and by Javier’s body language he expected company. Rainey checked her hip reflexively to ensure Javier’s pistol was in place just in case.

It wasn't long before a group of five men were on them. They wore the patched up work pants and sweaty union shirts of ranchers, all still covered in the muck of their labor and looking righteously pissed off. All this fuss because Javier felt the need to seek vengeance on her behalf. Rainey was equal parts flattered and annoyed at the twisted romantic gesture.

From a feral man like Javier, Rainey supposed she shouldn't have expected anything less. Killing was in his blood. It was only a harsh reminder that he was made for the outlaw life. Made for the running.

Bullets zinged wide as they rode, Scorpio overtaking Boaz. These farmers were hardly marksmen, and even Javier saw no need to draw his guns. They would outrun them easily enough. A manic smile split Javier's face as Rainey breezed by him on Scorpio, and behind her she heard Javier urge Boaz faster in Spanish. They easily left their pursuers behind in the dust.

Rainey waited just inside the treeline once she made it back to camp. Javier entered a couple minutes later, and she moved Scorpio in his path to block him. “What was all that about?”

“Don't be mad,” Javier dismissed. “It was unfinished business.”

“I was finished with it,” Rainey muttered, wheeling Scorpio around to trot the rest of the way into camp. “And I ain't mad. A little annoyed maybe.”

When their horses were tethered Javier caught Rainey by the waist and forced her to look him in the eye. It was clear he sensed her irritation, but something in the seriousness of his demeanor smothered the feeling before it could grow. “I wasn't about to let that  _puto_ live after what he had done to you.”

“I understand,” Rainey said.

“I don't think you do,” he said quietly, holding her close. Rainey tilted her head up at him and tried to work out what he meant. “I can't offer you much but my loyalty,  _mi reina_.”

Rainey gave a startled chuckle and squeezed Javier’s middle when he frowned at her laughter. She felt so light she could float. “You give me more than I ever thought I could have,” Rainey replied earnestly. “I treasure all of it.”

More words burned on the tip of her tongue, and she almost had to bite it off to keep from saying too much. Luckily Javier kissed her and saved her the temptation, drinking deep of her confession and acceptance. Catcalls and hollers at their very public display sounded around them, but for once Rainey didn't care because she was too drunk on his taste to notice.

“So… you're coming back to our tent tonight, right?” Rainey asked between breaths.

“ _Sí._ ” A wicked grin spread on his face and Rainey narrowed her eyes at the mischief glinting at her from deep mahogany depths. “I still have to give you your punishment.”

“My…  _punishment_?”

“ _Ay sí._ ” Javier cupped the back of her neck in a firm grip before she could muster indignance. Rainey stifled a moan when he covertly ground his hardness into her hip. “For teasing me. And for using Charles to make me jealous.”

“Mhm… that's your version of events,” she replied, giving him a final kiss. A smirk passed her lips. “Like I said I was just doing what  _papi_ told me.”

Rainey dropped him a wink and grabbed her satchel where she had leaned it against the hitching post. The throbbing, needy desire from that morning came back with a vengeance and pooled between her legs at Javier's dark throaty chuckle. It was full of sinister and lusty promises.

“You never learn,  _niñita_.”


	19. Diecinueve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait - needed a little recharge time. Up for some pure smut?

In the flickering low light of the lantern-lit tent Rainey dipped a rag into herb water and dabbed at her hand, hissing as the rough material scraped over the still tender flesh. The minor pain gave her something else to focus on other than her growing irritation. It was late － late enough others had already turned in for the night. Yet here Rainey was, alone, wondering if Javier was going to make good on his promise of coming back to their tent.

Things had been going well all day after they had returned from the stables. Heated looks, stolen moments in between chores and errands, whispered words in passing that kept Rainey in fevered anticipation of the elusive _later_ Javier kept insisting upon.

Rainey wasn't stupid.

She was aware he kept her waiting intentionally just to make her long for him. Javier was a damn tease. What annoyed Rainey most was her readiness to play into his game, because that’s exactly what she had been doing. It was impossible to stop the stuttering beats of her heart when he was near － when he looked at her with the same fondness that softened his hard eyes when he spoke of Mexico.

The quiet jingle of spurs and the whisper of grass alerted Rainey of Javier’s presence before the canvas was untied and he ducked inside. It gave her just enough time to smooth the scowl on her face into what she hoped looked like indifference. She managed to not even look up, instead reaching for a roll of gauze on the ground beside her to bandage her hand.

Javier hovered at the entrance and watched her while he loosed and discarded the red tie at his throat. His vest and hat joined it on top of a wooden crate. “Let me help you _pobrecita_.” He settled down next to her and took her swollen appendage in hand, wrapping the gauze around the healing wound. When he was done he sealed it with a kiss as his gaze bored into her own.

“You make it hard to be irritated with you,” Rainey grumbled, taking her hand back and standing to clear away her medical supplies.

A smirk twitched his lips as he worked his spurs and boots off. “What for, _mi reina_? I been on my best behavior.”

Rainey scoffed and nudged his thigh with her bare foot. “You’re never on your best behavior.” Javier grabbed her calf below the knee once her hands were empty and pulled her until she fell off balance and ended up straddling his lap. Rainey puffed a clump of hair from her face and rubbed a knee that landed hard into the ground. “Thanks for makin’ my point. That kinda hurt you know.”

“Let me make it better,” Javier replied smoothly, capturing Rainey’s lips in a crafty kiss. Rainey was fast forgetting why she wanted to make him work for it as his tongue twined with hers and those sly hands found their way under the back of her shirt.

Rainey forced herself to pull back, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth to savor the taste of him. Javier appeared mesmerized by the action. “You made me wait all day long, took your sweet time comin’ here, and－” Rainey crashed her lips into Javier’s so suddenly it caught him off guard, swiping her tongue against his in a brief caress. She pulled away before he could get any ideas and smacked her lips against the harsh bite of lingering whiskey. A very specific whiskey.

“Been drinkin’ with John again haven't ya?” Rainey nodded to herself and smirked when Javier’s mustache twitched in tell. “You took your time on purpose.”

Javier gave a laugh like he wasn't quite sure to make of her. Good, she thought, let him be off kilter for a change. “ _Sí_. John _es mi amigo_ and he needed some company.” Javier shrugged as if to say _so what_?

Laughter tumbled from Rainey unbidden, the kind of startled belly laugh that happened when something was truly hilarious. Rainey kissed Javier between the eyes on his wrinkled brow and pulled away to sober up, her hands gripping his shoulders.

“Does everyone buy all the horseshit you sell, _muchacho_? You should be rich ‘cause you are so. Full. Of. It.”

Javier rolled his tongue against his teeth, his confusion smoothing into something unreadable and smoldering. Rainey felt herself falling into his trap again, but this time she wanted to get snared. It was inevitable at the start, but at least she'd called him out and gotten a good laugh too.

Sometimes it was just about putting on the chase.

“You got me all figured out, huh?” Rainey balked at his tone － dangerous, but soft like velvet. It went straight to every nerve and lit her body on fire.

“I never said all that,” Rainey replied, nuzzling her cheek against his to revel in the scrape of his stubble. “Just calling your bluff is all. I know when I'm bein’ played.”

Javier rolled her to the ground and hovered over her, one knee planted between her legs and palms pressed on either side of her head. “But it's such a _fun_ game.”

Rainey sucked in a breath and trailed her fingers to the buttons on his shirt. She wanted to rip it apart, wanted to hear the satisfying skittering of buttons flying across the tent, but she knew Javier would murder her so instead she eased them through the holes one at a time. “Well I don't want to play. I just want you. I only ever want you.”

Javier sat up to let the shirt slip from his arms. “ _Muéstrame cuánto me quieres_ － _show me how much_.”

Incorrigible, Rainey thought, but she found herself sitting up to latch her mouth to his torso, cupping him through his jeans with a confidence that startled her. She lavished every inch of salty caramel skin she could reach in ardent kisses, pouring her adoration into each and every one.  A few months ago she would have never considered such brazen actions. Now she was shameless as she laved her tongue over a dusky nipple to hear the little whine escape the back of Javier's throat － a discovery Rainey had made during that wondrous day at the Parlour House.

Javier brushed Rainey’s hands away when her fingers strayed to the clasp of his pants. “ _Todavía_ _no_.”

“ _Por qué_?”

A fond smile lit Javier's face. It seemed like such a small thing to Rainey to use the Spanish she knew, but Javier always acted surprised. Rainey pressed a kiss just below his belly button as she looked up at him and awaited his answer. Instead of words Javier flattened Rainey out on her back and took her breath with a kiss so consuming she swore she saw stars.

“I want to pleasure you first,” Javier replied, his husky voice washing over her skin as he stripped away her clothes until she was bare beneath him. He sat back on his haunches to admire her, the denim of his jeans straining against his evident desire. Rainey shivered at the loss though a doting hand traversed down her body to trace her shape like it was a work of art.

“ _Por favor_ , just take me,” Rainey begged, reaching for his pants again with desperate fingers. Javier moved down her body, his hips just out of reach. A thought arose prominent in her mind, and she smiled mischievously up at him. “ _Quiero tu verga, papi_.”

Javier made a noise between a chuckle and a groan, sliding the pad of his thumb through her glistening folds to grind sweetly against her throbbing nub. “ _Bien hecho, niñita. Me encanta cuando me hablas en español. Me excitas mucho._ ”

Rainey blushed as he draped one of her legs over his shoulder, kissing up her inner thigh to hover over her soaked core. She was too far gone the last time to give thought to such an intimate position, but now she felt self-conscious and hot with anxiety. She squirmed beneath him, breathing his name, and his hooded gaze locked on hers as he dipped his tongue in to taste her. Rainey moaned at the view of him between her legs and the way he rolled his tongue with the same finesse it wrapped around the syllables of his native language.

Javier was relentless in seeking her pleasure, feasting until Rainey was impossibly drenched and hanging by a thread that was rapidly fraying.  “Javier, take me _now_ , _por favor_ I need to feel you.”

Javier lifted his head. He looked like sin, face gleaming as he gently lowered her leg to the ground. “You want me to fuck you, _niñita_?” Javier crawled over her, planting kisses and bites up as he went until they were face to face. There was a sharpness to his gaze that startled her, cementing that feeling with an almost cruel smile. “Did you think I would forget?”

He punctuated his words by rubbing his fingers through her folds, avoiding the spot that would lead her to release. Rainey whimpered at how close she was and tried to shift her hips to guide his fingers. Javier stopped then and tsked, tracing her lips with fingers coated in her own desire as she clung to him helplessly.

“Don't you want to know your punishment?”

Rainey groaned and dropped her head back. “Javier, no －”

“ _Ay sí mi reina_.” Javier left a soft kiss on her lips as he pulled away. “I want you just like this when I come back.” Javier stood, and Rainey sat up so fast it made her head rush. Her hair was a disheveled mess, lips swollen and green eyes shining with desperation.

“You ain't serious…?” The look on Javier's face suggested otherwise.

“Don't even think about finishing yourself,” Javier warned. Rainey felt like she could cry at how bad she needed him, needed _relief_ , and the glint in his eye told her he knew it. “If you do, I'll know.” Javier hovered at the threshold, smoothing his hand around the bulge in his pants as he stared down, pupils blown wide. “Don’t worry. You made sure we we’ll _both_ suffer.”

“Javier!” Rainey hissed, but he was already slipping between the tent flaps and out into the night.

Pent up energy thrummed through her, every beat of her heart seemingly connected with that need between her legs. Rainey ran her hands over her face and growled softly as she glared in his direction. Spotting his forgotten shirt on the bedroll Rainey rebelliously snatched it up and slipped it over her shoulders, fastening a couple buttons in the middle. It was tempting to bring herself to peak just for spite, but it wasn’t what she really wanted and she had already played his game this far.

Besides, wherever he went he was barefoot and shirtless. He couldn't stay away for too long, could he?

Rainey laid down against the covers to wait. And wait. And _wait_. She must have fell into a fitful sleep, because cool hands sliding up her side beneath Javier’s shirt startled her awake. “Shhh… it’s only me,” Javier soothed from behind her, cupping a breast and kneading it softly.

“Finally,” Rainey breathed, arching back into him. His hand curled around her throat and pinned her to his chest, firm but not squeezing.

“You're wearing my shirt,” he observed darkly. The fingers around her throat bit harder into the soft flesh, and Rainey wriggled in his grip to rub whatever part of her body she could against him.

“I ain't never been good with authority,” Rainey shot back. His dominance riled her, reminding her of that day in the woods she threatened to kill him if he grabbed her in anger again. But this － this was different. It was dangerously erotic, and Rainey trusted him to keep his word despite everything.

A hard bite sank into the meat of her shoulder as he dropped the hand holding her throat to test her swollen sex. Rainey gritted her teeth against the almost over-stimulating mixture of pleasure and pain. Javier soothed the bite with the flat of his tongue and traced the indents of his teeth with the tip. “But you waited like I told you. _Muy bien_.” The praise covered her like a warm blanket, burning her up impossibly hotter

Perspiration dotted along Rainey’s hairline and her breath kept catching as the combination of his fingers, lips and voice brought her back to that frantic need for release. Done with Javier’s torturous game Rainey turned in his arms to kiss him like it was an attack, digging her fingers into his shoulders as if it would pin him in place as she demonstrated the state of madness he had driven her to. Javier moaned against her mouth in approval and didn’t resist this time when Rainey dropped her hands to yank at the fastening of his jeans.

Javier shoved them off with violent motions like they were a personal affront. At the relief on his face as his cock was freed Rainey licked her lips to realize he truly had suffered as well by how stiff and engorged he was. Rainey pushed him to sit so she could straddle his lap and greedily take him in before he could decide to toy with her any longer.

Rainey wrapped her arms tight around his shoulders and held him close, sighing at the blessed stretch as he filled her. She could have fallen apart at the long awaited sensation coupled with the string of husky curses tumbling from Javier in a jumbled rush at how quick he sank to the root.

Rainey bit her lip as she rode him, slow at first, like savoring that first bite of a delicious treat before devouring it. Eventually Rainey was bouncing harder until Javier had to clamp a hand over her mouth to stifle her cries. He thrusted as best he could in his position, driving himself that much deeper and making Rainey’s mouth fall open in pure delight. It was silent save for their labored breaths and the wet, urgent sounds of their sex.

Normally Javier was talkative during their intimacy, but as Rainey looked down at him she was struck by how lost in the moment he was. His eyes were barely open, sweat dripping slow down his temple, teeth clenched and strands of his hair she had pulled loose from his ponytail scattered across his face. Nothing Rainey had ever seen before was more breathtaking than the sight of Javier letting go, and when they locked eyes the tenderness undid her.

“Javier!” Rainey whined, clenching hard around him and losing herself in ecstasy. The long-awaited high was almost violent in its intensity as it coursed through her. Vaguely she felt the hot wet rush of Javier's own release inside her as he gave a few final powerful thrusts. Rainey collapsed against his chest, boneless, holding on to him and stroking his hair as he rode out his orgasm with a stream of broken Spanish. Aftershocks still danced along her nerves and made her whole body tremble around him.

After her heart had slowed to normal Rainey lifted her head with a shaky breath of laughter. “Can’t believe you made me wait like that.”

Javier squeezed her thigh and kissed her jaw. “Tell me it wasn’t worth it.”

“You’re always worth it.” Rainey got up, sighing at the loss as he slipped from her body. Javier had left a wet mess between her thighs, and she frowned as she used what was left of the herb water to moisten a cloth and clean herself up. “Gonna put a baby in me if we’re not more careful though.” Rainey scoffed. “That’s the last thing either of us need.”

Javier was laid back with his arms tucked behind his head when Rainey looked down at him. There was a pensive smile on his face as he gazed at her instead of the smug turn of the lips she expected. Far away, musing. It was a curious look, one Rainey couldn’t puzzle out, but something in it warmed her as she crawled back into the covers. Idly Rainey traced the scars on his face and kissed them each in turn. Javier caught her hand, held it against his cheek and gave a relaxed sigh. “Sometimes you look at me like I hung the moon.” He kissed her palm, tickling the skin with coarse hair around his mouth.

Excitement flipped Rainey’s stomach when she realized she had the words to answer him in Spanish. “ _Lo haces en mi cielo_.”

Heat flooded her cheeks, and Rainey nestled her head on his chest rather than see his reaction to her response. The air was heavy with unsaid words, and she feared Javier would be able to see right through her and what she really meant to say. Feared what it would mean if she freed the sentiment blazing like an inferno within.

Javier’s arms pulled snug around her as he whispered a confession as the light guttered out. “I don’t deserve you, _mi reina_.”

“You have me anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the comments I may have grossly underestimated how long this story might be. I guessed 30, but now I'm thinking more if I keep up this pace. I'm taking it a chapter at a time.


	20. Veinte

Rainey was barely awake when Karen approached her by the cookfire. Rainey sat on the ground with a plate of eggs balanced on her crossed legs and a cup of coffee in hand. The blond plopped unceremoniously on the ground next to Rainey, her purple skirts puffing up with air around her.

“Look who's finally up!” Karen said in a too loud voice. Rainey cringed and took another large swallow of her coffee. “Javier musta worked you over real good by the sounds you were makin’. Might have to beg him to give Sean a few tips.”

 _Oh._ Crimson burned to the tips of Rainey’s ears. When she first entered camp that morning Rainey had wondered at some of the sideways glances and grumpy looks she had gotten. Since Javier was already up and gone by the time she awoke Rainey had no idea that their… activities… had been so disruptive.

Karen laughed at Rainey’s embarrassment as she reached into her bosom for a small bottle of brown liquor. She added a measure of it into her coffee. “I’d be braggin’ not blushin’,” she added, offering Rainey some of the alcohol with a tempting shake of the bottle. With a shrug Rainey held out her coffee and accepted a generous splash.

“I just don’t like attention,” Rainey admitted. She grimaced at the tang of whiskey mixed with the bitter dark coffee. “I ain’t embarrassed by any means.”

“Well, how about we talk about this bank job then. You got an outfit?”

Rainey blinked. “Outfit?”

“Yeah － like a dress or somethin’. We’ll be going in first, doing a little actin’－”

Rainey balked. “Whoa. Arthur said nothing about any of that.” Rainey finished her beverage and set the cup aside. “I was under the impression I was helpin’ Arthur crack some safes or somethin’.”

“Maybe.” Karen shrugged. “You still can’t go traipsin’ around like that.” She gave a flick of her hand to Rainey’s outfit － Javier’s shirt from the night before loosely tucked into her boy’s work pants. “You’d draw too much attention, ‘specially since you helped shoot up the town.”

“I ain’t got nothing different,” Rainey said with a sigh. She hadn’t thought about the obvious dangers of being recognized in Valentine. Rainey had been too wrapped up in Javier, too distracted.

She needed to focus.

“We’ll have to do somethin’ about that then,” Karen decided. “C’mon.” With a grunt she pushed herself from the ground and beckoned Rainey to follow as she brushed some grass from her skirt. “You’re too small for what I got, but maybe Tilly or Abigail might have somethin.’”

Finding a suitable dress turned out to not be much of a problem. To Rainey’s chagrin it was a soft tan dress of Abigail’s with dark buttons running up the front. It was much too low cut for Rainey’s liking since her breasts were pushed up by the corset Karen had insisted on. After eyeing Karen’s own cleavage, which always seemed on the verge of spilling over the cups of her corset, Rainey decided her own was acceptable enough.

Rainey felt ridiculous and constricted, but the corset did offer her a curvier shape and made her feel… feminine. A part of her wanted to keep it on to see the look on Javier’s face. The only other time she had wore anything remotely close was the serviceable skirt she had borrowed from Miss Grimshaw.

“Why, Miss Bennett, you clean up real nice!” Karen said after she very unapologetically adjusted Rainey’s breasts in the corset. Rainey had been too shocked to do much other than stand there. “This'll do just fine! Now, dare I ask how your actin’ skills are?”

“I’m gonna say non-existent.” Rainey held up her hands when Karen’s face fell. “It’s fine. I’ll just go in first and get in line to open an account or somethin.’ I can scout out anyone who might be a problem. Me and Arthur got silent signals for things like that.”

Karen pouted. “You’re missin’ out on the fun part doin’ it like that! But have it your way.” Karen grinned, and Rainey found herself smiling back at the woman’s infectious good humor. “Me? I like to make a little noise and get rowdy. But enough about work. You gonna give up some details about how Javier is in the hay, ‘cause I always wondered…”

Rainey found herself chuckling as she gathered her clothes and satchel. Leave it to Karen to be painfully straightforward. “Not a chance,” Rainey replied, starting toward her tent but pausing to look over her shoulder at Karen’s disappointed expression. “But you’ll never hear me complaining,” she added with a smirk.

“Tease!” Karen huffed behind her.

Rainey spent the rest of the morning doing chores to keep the peace with Miss Grimshaw. Since their row Miss Grimshaw had backed off Rainey quite a bit. In fact, if Rainey kept busy in the mornings and early afternoon the woman rarely spared her a glance anymore. It was like a tentative understanding had blossomed between them, and to Rainey it was now a perfect working relationship. They would probably never be friends, but Rainey could respect the order Miss Grimshaw maintained in the camp.

By afternoon Rainey found herself seated amongst the gnarled roots of a tree a few feet away from her tent. After a quick ride around the lake Rainey had located the thicket Charles had mentioned and gathered several bundles of wood to craft arrows. As a show of gratitude for the tip Rainey had left one of the bundles on Charles’s bedroll. It was the least she could do, especially after he had made her a bow.

While Rainey stripped the bark from thin shafts of wood she thought about how jealous Charles made Javier. How jealous he got of any man Rainey was around for any period of time. As much as it infuriated her how much he coveted her attention it also delighted her that he wanted it so much in the first place. The man was handsome enough to catch the eyes of several women in town, and if he turned on that charm Javier could have any number of them falling at his feet.

But Javier had chosen her.

Rainey stretched her legs out from their crossed position and leaned back to get more comfortable. She added another de-barked shaft to her pile. The sound of spurs jingling made her look up, and Rainey spotted Javier cresting the hill to their tent. Rainey let out a soft whistle to catch his attention from her semi-secluded spot. The slow smile that curved the stern line of his lips as he diverted his path sent warm tingles along her skin.

Today he was wearing a sombrero to combat the relentless sun. It was the first time she had seen him wear it, which was a shame. Rainey marveled at how the proud symbol of his heritage made Javier even more attractive, even though the muggy heat had his skin glistening with beads of sweat and loose strands of hair sticking to his face.

“You look miserable,” Rainey observed upon closer inspection. Usually Javier wore a jacket or vest over his button-ups, but now he was clad only in a cream colored tunic that displayed his misery in the damp spots beneath the armpits and around the edges of the neck.

“This _heat_ ,” Javier complained. With unceremonious grace he flopped on the ground and removed his sombrero, balancing it on his chest as he lay his head in Rainey’s lap.

“You're all sweaty!”

Rainey pretended to be offended as he rubbed his moist face against the belly of her shirt with a grin. Rainey chuckled and brushed the clinging hairs away from his face. Javier closed his eyes with a sigh. He looked beat already.

“I'm surprised you're not the one complaining,” Javier murmured. He squinted up at her against the sun. “You aren't even sweating.”

“Tell that to the drops sliding down my back right now.” Rainey plucked up his sombrero and swapped it with her own hat on her head. It cast a much bigger shadow beneath the brim than hers and shaded them both. Rainey also enjoyed the way Javier’s eyes seemed to soften as he stared up at her. “Heat don't bother me too much.”

“That's good. It can get pretty hot in Mexico.” Rainey smiled faintly and drew her brows together as Javier threaded his fingers through hers and kissed the back of her hand. “I want to take you there one day.”

The soft admission stunned her, and Rainey had to remind herself to breathe. There was no hint of deception in his voice, no indication of laying on his trademark charm. Only that sweet easy smile and a half-lidded gaze to accompany his meandering statement. Javier had made it clear that Rainey was his woman, but she had no idea how far that truly extended. Talk of the future even in passing fantasy startled Rainey in the best of ways.

She cupped Javier’s cheek and traced the scar branching out on the flesh with her thumb. “I’d like that.”

Javier leaned into her touch and gazed up at her, brown eyes flitting across the details of her face. “ _Eres tan hermosa, mi reina_ ,” Javier practically purred in that smooth melodic timbre that left Rainey dizzy with elation. Blood pooled in her cheeks at the compliment even as she huffed a laugh through her nose.

“ _Gracias_ Don Juan.” Rainey pushed at his face playfully.

Javier caught her hands. “ _Lo digo en serio._ ” He leaned up and tilted his head under the sombrero, breath tickling across her lips as he spoke. “ _Hermosa y fuerte._ What is more beautiful than such a woman living free, eh?” Javier’s lips touched Rainey’s in a brief caress, not quite a kiss but more consuming in its innocence. “I knew when I first saw you how special you are; knew I had to have you. _No sabía cuánto_.”

“I－” Rainey faultered as those molten eyes pinned her in place. Certainly her face was a shade a pink she couldn’t blame on the heat.  “－think you’ve had a sunstroke.”

Javier chuckled and kissed her, squeezing her hip. “Maybe,” he agreed, nuzzling down her jaw and into her neck. Rainey giggled at the tickle of his mustache. “It don’t make my words less true.”

“You’ll never get rid of me if you keep talkin’ like that.”

“Why would I want to do such a thing?”

Javier's light kisses on her skin turned hungrier, open-mouthed, and his hands caressed up her sides in a tantalizing motion that left her unbearably hot. Rainey wanted him, _needed_ him, but the sticky heat dissuaded the activity － especially in a sweltering canvas tent. Then it hit Rainey, and a slow grin crept on her face as she pushed Javier away from her throat.

“I know you just got back, but are you up for a quick ride?”

“It’s what I was hoping for.” Javier flashed his teeth in a wicked little smirk as Rainey blinked at him in disbelief.

“Wow. You’re something else, _muchacho_.” Rainey nudged him off her legs so she could stand. “Come on. And grab some clothes.” Rainey dropped his sombrero on his head and scooped up her own hat.

“I think I like where this is going,” Javier commented as he followed Rainey’s lead. Rainey shot him a glare over her shoulder as she quickly stuffed a change of clothes in her satchel, but its intimidation was dashed by the amused pull of her lips.

“ _Qué es esto_?” Javier indicated the tan dress Rainey had laid over the back of a crate they used as a table.

“Hmm?” Rainey looked up. “Costume for this bank job. Karen pointed out that I might be too recognizable as is. It’s Abigail’s.”

“Why not buy your own?”

Rainey snorted. “Why would I? I’d never wear it.”

An excited gleam shined bright in Javier’s eyes as he wrapped an arm around Rainey’s waist. As her body pulled flush against his Rainey gave a quiet moan at the hardness that pressed into her core, reminding her of just how aroused she was. Rainey wanted to rip off his clothes and taste every inch of his skin, but just a couple minutes in the tent and she was already starting to melt.

“Let me take you shopping.”

“No.”

“ _Por favor mi reina_?”

Rainey rolled her eyes and headed for the horses where she knew Boaz would be tethered. “Mind if we just take Boaz? It’s not far.”

Unrelenting, Javier ignored her question. “Just let me, okay? Come on,” he purred, snatching Rainey before she could walk away in exasperation. Her back hit his chest, his hands cupping her hips like they were always meant to be there. “I want to wrap you in silk.”

Rainey shivered at the breath ghosting across her ear. At this rate she was starting to doubt they’d make it out of camp before she ravaged him. “Silk? Really?” Rainey turned her head to gauge his seriousness and sighed at the intent way he was staring at her. “Ugh. I’ll think about it… now get on the damn horse.”

Javier gestured to Rainey once he was mounted and pulled her up in front of him. “I don’t know why you fight me, _cariño._ You know I always get my way.”

Rainey refused to take that bait as she guided Boaz out of camp and around the lake. Earlier when she had ridden through Rainey had found a small pond (or glorified watering hole) nestled at the base of a cliff shelved with large flat rocks. Rainey supposed at one point a waterfall might have cascaded down, but now it was more of a steady little trickle.

“Where are you taking me?” Javier asked.

“A little place I found when I was gathering wood for my arrows.”

“ _Charles_ didn’t make any to go with your bow?” Rainey gave Javier a short jab in the ribs with her elbow. “ _Oye_ _chica_ that hurt! I was only teasing.”

“And I was only trying to get comfortable.” Rainey smirked at him over her shoulder and grew even wetter at the glare he gave her. Even joking it was dark and menacing. “We can walk from here. It’s just down through the woods.”

Rainey led them down a slope through the trees. The little pool of water looked the same as it had a few hours before. Rainey left Boaz to graze in the most spacious spot the sprawl of trees afforded and gave him a sugar cube from her satchel. When she turned it was right into Javier’s embrace, which she seamlessly melted into.

“What do you think?”

Javier’s attention never left her. “ _Perfecta_.”

Rainey let out a small wheeze of air in disbelief and then she was kissing him hard and fast, fingers curling into the damp fabric of his shirt to jerk it up from where it was tucked into his jeans. Javier growled against Rainey’s mouth in approval. Rainey broke their kiss to strip away his shirt but was immediately on him again, her lips and tongue resuming their passionate exploration of his mouth.

Javier took control and dropped his mouth greedily to her throat. “Javier…” Rainey sighed, scratching her nails down his sweaty back. Javier’s hands flew to the buttons of Rainey’s shirt and fumbled with a couple before grabbing the material at the top and ripping it open.

“Fuck!” Rainey exclaimed softly.

Rainey panted and let the material slide down her arms. Goosebumps followed in its wake at the way Javier licked his lips as he enjoyed the sight of her heaving chest. It was a power all its own to have the full attention of such a sensuous man, to be able to fluster him enough to tear open one of his own shirts just so he could lavish her skin with adoration and praise.

“That’s right,” Javier agreed as he palmed a breast, cradling it and circling the pad of his thumb around a nipple until it peaked, sending tiny jolts of pleasure to her aching center as teeth nipped across her collar. “Let me hear you, _mi reina_.”

Rainey groped for the buckle of his gun belt but lost all semblance of concentration when his mouth began working at her breasts and his hands slid down to brace her rear. He ground his hips into her, and _oh God_ he was so hard and felt so good that Rainey threw her head back and whimpered, her hands delving in his hair.

“ _Muy bien, cielito._ ”

“ _Fuck_.” Rainey groaned and tugged on his hair. Javier made sure his tongue took a slow broad path up the middle of her torso as he looked up at her. Urgency gripped her as she refocused on getting his clothes and boots off in between thirsty kisses. When he was bare Rainey’s mouth watered as she admired him; dusky skin stretched over lean hard muscle, a litany of scars that wove the tapestry of his endurance, the arousal-reddened cock that leaked provocatively at the tip. “ _Magnífico,_ _papi._ ”

Javier hummed in satisfaction, stroking himself as he watched Rainey shed the rest of her own clothes. “ _Tan hermosa, mi reina. Y ya tan mojada._ ”

After getting undressed Rainey resisted the urge to pounce Javier and take him right there on the ground. He reached for her after she kicked her boots aside, but Rainey winked and jumped in the water. It was less shallow than she expected, a little over her head at its deepest. Rainey popped back up and broke the surface of the water, looking around for Javier as she moved until her feet found purchase enough to stand.

Just as Rainey was about to open her mouth to shout for him Javier popped up in front of her, laughing when she squealed in surprise and drawing her into his arms. Rainey nipped at his chin, nuzzling down his neck and softly suckling at the sensitive scar tissue of the line across his throat. Javier tensed at the contact as he always did, muscles bunching beneath her fingers where they splayed across his abdomen, but the heady groan that escaped him and the way he unconsciously rubbed himself along her slit encouraged her actions.

Rainey couldn’t wait any longer. She grasped his erection and guided him to enter her, gasping as she hoisted herself up to wrap her legs around him. Javier’s fingers were like steel as they bit into her flesh, undoubtedly bruising but welcome as they coaxed her movements along his shaft.

“ _Sí, sí cariño_ ,” Javier praised. “ _Tan buena, mierda!”_ Javier buried himself deep and stopped her motions, curving his hips up into her own and pulling a gasping mewl from Rainey’s throat. “You like that, eh?” He gave short hard thrusts, and Rainey felt like a wanton as she moaned and whimpered at his whim. “ _Dime_ , Rainey. How do I feel?”

Rainey buried her face in his neck and gripped his sopping ponytail. Heat burned her up from the inside out, it was hard to concentrate, but she tried to find her words. “Amazing,” she whimpered pathetically. It was getting harder to breathe, she could feel that mounting pressure building inside of her. “Don’t stop, _papi, por favor_.”

Javier thrusted with abandon after that, groaning delicious encouragements until even those fell apart in garbled Spanish. With no need to be quiet Rainey let Javier hear every bit of what he did to her. One of Javier’s thumbs found her clit and Rainey knew he was close too. With a breathy whine she gave in to the consuming rush of her release, clinging helplessly to him as he chased his own with manic thrusts until he was pulling out and moaning low as he came in the water.

“Ay _mi reina_ , I think you killed me,” Javier said as he slumped into her, his chest still heaving with the exertion.

“Mmm,” Rainey hummed, too caught up in the relaxed feeling of just resting together and the cool relief of the water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still writing this, I promise! Just very... slow.  
> Was gonna do the bank job this chapter, but then you know, Javier, soooo... *shrug*


End file.
